The Washington times., 1931-10-28
NoW Continue

on as we 1OuuQ We ScG pPdAO
on a waterproof sheet by them
selves. "That'll do," said
Bethke, when we had brought
up Glaser; I'VE won't get any
more in"
We fetched a few sandbags
full of chloride of lime. Jupp
scattered it about the wide
trench with a flat shovel. Max
We'll turned up soon after with
a few crosses. Then, to our
astonishment, Sergeant Major
Seelig appeared out of the
darkness.
AS there was no padre handy
and both our officers We're sick,
he had been told off, apparently,
to pronounce the prayer for
the dead. He was feeling
rather sore about it; he could
not bear the sight Of blood
and, besides, he was SO fat. He
was nightblind, too, and could
hardly see in the dark. All this
together made him so jumpy
that he overstepped the edge of
the grave and fell in, Tiaden
burst outlaughing and called in
a subdued voice: Shovel, boys!
Shovel him in!"
Terrific UprOar
Kosole, as it happened, was
digging in the trench Just at
that spot and Seelig landed
square on the top of his head
"a good two hundredweight.
Kosole swore blue murder. Then
he recognized the sergeant ma
jor, but being an old hand
this was 1918-he did ret let
that deter him. The sergeant
major picked himself up, saw
Kosole in front of him, ex-
ploded and began to abuse him.
Kosole yelled back. Bethke,
who was also down there, tried
to part them. But the sergeant
major spat with rage, end Ko-
sole, justly regarding himself
as the aggrieved party, returned
as good as he got. Willy now
jumped in also to lend Kosole
a hand. A terrific uproar arose
from the grave.
Steady" said someone sud-
denly. Though the voice was
quiet, the din ceased inlme-
diately. Seelig, putting and
blowing, clambered out of the
grave. His uniform was white
with the soft chalk: he looked
for all the world like a ginger
bread baby covered in icing
sugar. KoSole and Bethke
climbed out likewise.
On top, leaning on his walk
ing stick, stood Ludwig Breyer.
Until now he had been lying
out in the open before the dug
out, with two greatcoats over
him-he was suffering then
his first bad attack Of dysen-
terry.
whats the trouble?" he
asked. Three men tried to tell
him at once. YEARLY Ludwig
checked them. Anyway, what
does it matter?"
The sergeant major insisted
that Kosole had struck him on
the chest. At this Kosole flared
up again.
They Find Schroeder
"Steady" said Ludwig once
more. There was silence again.
Have you got all the identity
discs, Alberto" he then asked.
YES" replied Trosske, adding
softly, so that Kosole should
not hear it, "Schroder'S among
them"
For a moment each looked at
the other. Then Ludwig said:
"Ah, then he wasn't taken
prisoner?-Which is he?"
Albert led him along the
line, Broger and I following
Schroeder was our schoolfellow.
Trosske stopped before a body,
the head of which was covered
with a sandbag. Breyer stopped.
Albert pulled him back. Don't
uncover, Ludwig" he implored.
Breyer turned around. al
BERT" he said quietly.
OF the upper part of
Schroder's body nothing was
recognizable. It was as flat
as a founder. The face was
like a board in which a black,
oblique hole with a ring of
teeth marked the mouth. Does
he know?" he asked, looking
toward where Kosole was dig
ging. Albert shook his head.
"See to it that the sergeant
major clears off," said he;
otherwise thereIl be trouble"
Schroeder had been Kosole'S
friend. We had never under
stood it quite, for Schroeder was
delicate and frail, a mere child,
and the direct opposite of Ferd-
inand. Yet Ferdinand used to
look after him like a mother.
Behind us stood some one
putting. Seelig had followed
us and was standing there. with
staring eyes. II never saw the
like Of that BEFORE" he STAN
mered. However, did it hap
penn"
No one answered. Schroeder
should really have gone home
on leave eight days ago. But
because Seelig disliked him and
KoSole. And now Schroeder was
dead.
(TO Be COntinued)
Copyright, Erich Maria Re
marque, 1891; distributed by
United Feature Syndieata. Inc.l