Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1918-04-11
CHAPTER XIV.
Picks and shoveIa.

had not slept long before the sweet
voice Of the sergeant informed thai
''No. section had clicked for another
blinking digging party" | smiled tt
myself with deep satisfaction ! had
been promoted from mere digger to
a member Of the Suicide club, and was
exempt from all fatigues. Then came
an awful shock. The sergeant looked
over in my direction and said:
'Don't you bomb throwers think you
are wearing top hats out here. Cord
IN TO orders you've been taken up on
the strength of this section, and viii
have to do your bit with the pick and
shovel, same as the rest Of us"
l put up howl on my way to get
my shovel, but the only thing that re-
sulbed was loss of good humor on
my part.
We fell in at eight o'clock outside
of our billets, a sort of masquerade
party. l was disguised as a common
laborer, had a pick and shovel, and
about one hundred empty sandbags.
The rest, about two hundred in ali,
were equipped likewise: picks shovels,
sandbags, rifles and ammunition.
The party moved out in column of
tours, taking the road leading to the
trenches Several times we had to
string out In the ditch to let long col
umns Of limbers, artillery and supplies
get past.
The marching, under these condi-
lions, was necessarily SLOW Upon ar
rival at the entrance to the communi-
cation trench, / looked at my illuml-
mated wrist watch-it was eleven
O'Clock.
Before entering this trench, word
was passed down the line, mo talking
or smoking, lead off in single file, Gov
ering party first"
This covering party consisted of 30
men, armed with rifles, bayonets,
bombs, and two Lewis machine guns.
They were to protect us and guard
against surprise attack while dig
ging In No Mans Land.
The communication trench was
about half mile long, a zlgzagging
ditch, eight feet deep and three feet
wide.
Now and again, German shrapnel
would whistle overhead and burst in
our vicinity. We would crouch against |
the earthen walls while the shell frag-
ments slapped the ground above us.
Once Fritz turned loose with ma
chine gun, the bullets from which |
Hcrncked" through the air and kicked |
up the dirt Oh the top, scattering sand |
and pebbles which, hitting our steel
helmets, sounded like haistones.
Upon arrival in the fire trench an |
officer of the Royal Engineers gave us
our instructions and acted as guide.
We were to dig an advanced trench
two hundred yards from the Germans
(the trenches at this point were six
hundred yards apart).
Two winding lanes, five feet wide,
had been cut through our barbed wire,
for the passage of the dggers. From
these lines white tape had been laid
on the ground TO the point Where we
were to commence work. This in or
der that we would not get lost In the
darkness. The proposed trench was
also laid out with tape.
The covering party went out first.
After a short wait, two scouts came
back with information that the work
ing party was to follow and carry on"
with their work
In extended order, two yards apart,
we noiselessly crept across No Mans
Land. 1t was nervous work; every
minute we expected machine gun to
open fire on us. Stray bullets cracked"
around us, or a ricoehet sang over
head.
Arriving at the tapped diagram of
the trench, rifles slung around our
shoulders, we lost no time In getting
to work. We dug as quietly as pos
sible but every now and then the noise
of a pick or shovel striking stone
would send the cold shivers down our
backs. Under our breaths we heartily
cursed the offending Tommy.
At intervals a star shell would go up
from the German lines and we would
remain motionIess until the glare Of its
white light died out.