New Britain herald., 1927-06-20
Mt Sons Su0QttbcaGS
 .S2. o,naaor, y 1..,u uunen u yM McloM GIBSON
WlDA McClONt GIBSON

knew that the tie of battle was | stronger one than the tie of blood No one could hate another wher they were fighting side by side.
 They were banded together against a common enemy.
 Lieutenant Andrews detailed Phi and Rod to report at the outpost or a hill, which overlooked the Marne to observe shell fire.
 The men they relieved were dog tired and hungry. "Hell's apopping,' said one of them. Good luck tc you. They haven't come anywhere near our rarge yet"
 You've got a seat in the first row, haven't you? The crest of that hill over there belongs to the Ger mans. Who'll own it when the day is over, God alone knows"
 Rod and Phil watched that hill all through the day. It was not more than half mile distant. The replacing and alternate blowing up of pontoon bridge which the Americans had tried to throw across the Marne kept them in tense state of excitement. They watched the slaughter through their glasses until they could look upon it no more. Toward night Lieutenant Dolan arrived at the outpost.
 "We've got to find out" he said eff Americans or Germans arc holding that hill"
 For a moment Phil could not realize that Lieutenant Dolan was saving i've" instead of 'I."
 And then he knew that when men face death, whether they are gen. erals. lieutenants or privates. they are equals.
 "We've go. to find out" he con- tinued, "who holds that mass of ruins over on our left. The major told me to pick up one of you and hop to it and have a look"
 Tt seems there is chance of the Americans having 1t, and if they have, we don't want to fire on our own men,"
 I'm on." said Phil. quickly.
 "Very well, sir, let's go,' spoke ur Rod. at the same instant.
 "Phil. it's better that I go," said Rod, slowly. There was that in his voice and in his eyes that spoke volumes.
 Rod, wouldn't miss this fol anything in the world. Why, this i' what l came for"
 Rod stubbornly shook his head Say, listen, you two" interrupted Lieutenant Dolan. T don't care 8 damn which of you goes, but we're supposed to start at sundown." AS he spoke, the sun, as if bidding goodbye to all the horror 1t had looked upon that day, slipped be- hind the hill in blaze of red, as though it, too, were writing good night in letters of blood.
 There's the signal, lieutenant. Come on. let's go."
 Rod clutched Phil's arm. Wait a minute. Phil" he pleaded, with what seemed one last forlorn hope. Lets match for it."
 Phil drew two-franc piece out of his pocket. saying. "The one who gets the lady stays here"
 I'm never lucky with ladies-Tll take the other side"
 Phil tossed the coin and Rod spoke.
 As it fell. Lieutenant Dolan bent forward. He raised his head and said: Come on, Tracy. let's go."
 They wormed their way down the hillside to the rivers edge. Lieu tenant Dolan told Phil he had in- formation that the French had thrown a bridge across further up the river that was passable at last report.
 Flat on their bellies. they at last found the bridge. It had been made out of house doors nailed together on one side and tied onto the other with ropes.
 At best it was precarious cross ing.
 Phil never forgot the sensation- wiggling across that muddy river on those doors which sagged into the water with every move of his body.
 CHAPTER XXXVII For Valor on the Field Of Battle
 Somehow the lieutenant and Phil got across the Marne, but it was worse on the other side. Phil did not think it humanly possible. even though he had watched it earlier from the outpost through his glasses for so much killing to have gone on that day.
 There were dead men partially in the water. There were men who weren't dead. but dying. who called to them as they squirmed by: there were men dead in holes they had dug into the hillsides to protect themselves, and there were dead men flung sprawling out in the open.
 A French sergeant spoke to them and Phil, whose French by now was pretty good, told him that they were Americans and wanted to find out who held the town on the left.
 With hardly a word he escorted them-also on his belly-through the oliacent west field which was strung with barbed wire entangle- ments.
 Finally. after what seemed to Phil an eternity, they reached round fountain base. Evidently before this game of hloodshed began this tiled declivity in which these men were sitting had been filled with the Wa ter of the fountain-now 1t wa.