Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-10
Continued From Yesterdays starr

Trotter, silenced, but not abashed,
bent his head over his plate, and
tackled his outlet. Presently-when he
had finished everything on his plate. IN
fact-he looked up. He was still
puzzled by StanhopeS air OF WEAKNESS,
which, somehow, was linked up with
the arrival of this pleasant-Spoken
youngster, Raleigh.
Cheer up, skipper" he ventured.
~You do look glum."
I'm tired"
why not turn in to get some sleep
after supperP" asked Osborne eagerly.
"IlI do the duty roll. and see the
cergeant major, and any little thing
like that"
"Ive got hours of work before turn
IN. So have the rest of US, for that
matter" He turned to Raleigh. Trot-
ter goes on duty directly he's had sup
per. Now, in fact. He's relieving the
other sub, HILBERT; YOU'D better 60
with him to learn the job"
"Oh, right!'
Raleieh's own voice was as nom
committal and indifferent as STAN
hopes. 1t would not do to let any one
see how much Dennis behavior hurt
and puzzled him. =,
There's tons of time" grumbled
Trotter. Il amt ad my apricots yet.
And they need digesting Afterwards.
Wen keep them for you TILL you
come back" Osborne promised.
Not in ere, you won't. know you
all too we'll"
He instructed Mason to keep the
fruit in his own dugout until it was
wanted. and rose to his feet, stretching
prodigiously, in a way which showed
that his buttons must be fastened
on with good stout thread, and not
ordinary, ladylike cotton.
Come on. Raleigh, my lad" he said.
"I never knew anything like q war for
upsetting meals I'm always down Tor
dooty in the middle Of one.
Stanhope laughed-almost the old
laugh. when he was Raging any one at
school. That's because you never stop
eating" he declared.
Raleigh stood in boyish uncertainty
at Trotters side. Did one wear full
equipment on duty? What was he ex-
uected to do? He felt a little as he
had felt when his father had taken
him into q large London restaurant Tor
the first time, and he had hesitateo
before that bewilGering array Of cutlery
on each side of his plate.
Just wear your belt with revolver
case on it." Trotter advised, after the
manner of an ex-sergeant-major, well
alterns. Must have your revolver to
shoot rats. None of your grouse moors
out ERE, but first-rate rat-'unting. Tuck
your gas mask under your chin like a
serviette. And leave :your stick at 'ome.
It gets in your way If you have to run"
Raleigh laughed little nervously. He
did not know when Trotter was fooling
and when he was serious.
"Why-er-we don't have to run, do
we?"
"Oh, Lord, yes. often! You walt until
you see a minnie-thatS big trench
mortar shell, you know; short for
minenwerfer. You wait until you see
one of those damned black things twist
ing over and over in the air, and then
coming down, down, down. You won't
ask then If we have to run. You'll run
like stink, and, unless you judge wen.
you're just as likely to run into the
bloomin' thing as away from 1t.
'OweVer, you'll find all that out soon
enough. Well, come on, my lad, let's
go and see about this ere war. Cheero,
uncleI Cheero. skipper! Don't any one
pinch my apricots."
"Cheero," echoed Raleigh little un-
certainly, and he followed Trotter up
the steps into the moonlit support
trench.