Show I IE i I I I E JO 1 J r E it VE g ff g g 2 7 I 1 II IC z- z f g HE i sif K 3 LII s sj 1 1 j SY SYNOPSIS IJ IS OF OV PRECEDING G CHAPTERS CIL i I Arthur GU Guy Empey of Ogden spurred b by the tho outrage to join the tho battle a against hastens I II i I t to England Ingland anti and enlists Three weeks later he he arrives somewhere In France ranco and quickly begins beg hi his introduction I t to tho thio thrills and amid horrors of ot the trenches Yesterdays Yesterday's told how close chose death struck as Empey received i t his lJ baptism m of or shell i I I 1 Copyright 1918 CHAPTER V- V Mud V.-Mud Mud Rats and Shells J I j have c slept for two or three but bilL the sleep that comes from coli cole Suddenly the earth seemed to shake and a thunderclap burst in my ray cars I opened m my eyes I eles I was splashed allover all allover allover over with stick sticky mud mud and men were picking picking- themselves up from tho the bottom of oC time the trench The Tho parapet on m my left leCt had toppled into the trench completely blocking blocking- It with a n wall wail of ot up tossed earth The man on my mr left lay still I rubbed the mud mull from my mr face and an awful sight met my m Mils gaze head was smashed to a n pulp and his steel helmet was full o of br brains brimis ins and blood A German German German Ger Ger- man Minnie trench mortar had ex exploded exploded ex- ex in the tile next traverse Men olen were digging Into the soft sort mass of ot mud In Ina Ina ina a frenzy of ot haste laste Stretcher bearers hearers came up the tile trench on the double After Attel Attela a few tew minutes of digging diggin three still stilt mudd muddy forms on stretchers were wore carried down down- the time communication tion trench to the rear Soon they would be resting somewhere in France with a little wooden cross over their heads They had done their bit for tal king and country had died without firing Iring a shot but their services were appreciated nevert never never- t thele h ci ess s Later on I found out their names The They belonged to our draft raft I was dazed and motionless Suddenly Suddenly Sud Sud- denly denh a shovel was pushed into my han hands s and a rough but kindly voice said ald Here m my lad lend a 3 hand clearing the thc trench but keep your our head down and antI look out for tor snipers One of the time Fritzs Fritz's is a daisy and hell he'll get you ou if youre you're not careful 11 Lying Lying- on my belly on tho the bottom of tho the trench I filled tilled sandbags with the sticky mud the they were dragged to my rear b by other men and tho work york of ot rebuilding rebuilding- the time parap parapet t was on Tho The harder I worked the better I felt Although Although Although Al Al- though th the thC weather was oas n c cold c ld I was soaked with swe sweat t. t Occasionally a R. bullet woula Woul rack crack overhead and a machine gun un would kick up the mud on the bashed In par par- apet At each crack I would duck and shield m my face with my mr arm aim One o ot of the tho older men mon noticed this action of mine and whispered whispered- Dont duck at the time crack of a n bullet Yank the tile danger has passed you passed you ou oun n never er hear heal the one that wings you OU Always remember that if IC you are arc going to get et it it you'll get it so 50 never worry Tills made mad a great impression on mo me moat at the time time an and from Crom then on I adopted his hiM motto If rr youre you're going to get it you'll got get It It helped me inc wonderfully t I u used It so often orten afterwards that some of oC my 01 mates dubbed me If I youre you're going going- to got get it it you'll get It it After an hours hour hard work all m my nervousness left lott me meo and I was laughIng laughing laugh laugh- ing and Joking with the tile rest At 1 o'clock dinner came camo up In tho tile form of a dixie of or hot stew I looked hooked for tor m my canteen It had fallen allen off oCt the fire tire step and arid was vas half halt buried burled In the time mud The Thc man mon on m my left leCt noticed this and told the corporal hours not the refreshing kind that rest restI I J wet and nod sheer exhaustion dishing out tho the rations to fo put m my share In his hl's mess tin Un Then he whispered to tome tome me roe Always take caro care of or your mess tin mate I had learned another maxim of ot the thc trenches That stew tasted fine tine I was s as tits from clean sheets anti and suit sott pillows hungry as a bear Wo We o had seconds second or another helping because three of or themen tho the thomen thomen men had gone west killed by Hi U explosion of or the German tr trench tar mortar and we wo ate their share but hut still I was wa hungry so I filled In with bully beef bce and biscuits Then Than I drained m my water I bottle Later ter on I learned another maxim of the thc front line Go sparingly I with your water The bulJ bully beef made me thirsty and by b tea time I was dying din for a drink but m my pride would not allow me to ask m my mates for Cor water I was f fast st learning the ethics of oC the time trenches That night I was put on guard with an older man We e sto stood ll on the fire step tcp with our hea heads s over el the tIme top peeing peer peering peering peer pee ing ing- out no mans man's land hand It was nervous nerous work for me but the time other fellow seemed to take tako it as part of or the time nights night's routine Then something shot past my face My 1 henrt- henrt stopped beating heating and I 1 ducked m my head below the time parapet V soft oft chuckle from my mato mate brought blought me mme to tom tomy tomy m my senses and and andI I fe feebly bl bly asked asted For Gods God's sake what was that He lie answered Only a rat taking a promenade along the time sandbags I felt ver very sheepish About every 20 O minutes the sentry In the next t traverse a would fire a star shell from his flare Clare pistol The TIme plop would give he me a start of fright I novel never got used to this noise during m my service ser in the time trenches I would watch the arc c described b by bythe bythe the star shell such and then tilen stare into no noman's nomans nomans noman's mans man's land Jand waiting waiting- for fOl it to burst In ha haits its lurid lI light ht the barbed wire and stakes would be silhouetted against its light like a latticed window Then Ihen darkness Once Once- out In front of or our wire I heard hearda a noise noise- ad td saw da dark dak k- k forms torms moving My ry rifle was lyIng across the sandbagged sandbagged sand and andI bagged parapet I 1 reached for It and I was tal taking aim nim to fire when m my mate grasped my arm and whispered Dont fire ire He challenged in a low voice The reply came back instantly from time the alk forms Shut your our blinkin mouth you bloomin idiot do you ou want us to click it from tho the Bodies Boches' Later lator we learned that the word No Xo challenging or firing wiring party part out in ill front had been given ghen to the sentry on our right but hut he had failed to pass it down the trench An officer had overheard overl our challenge and the time reply and anti immediately latel put time the offending senti sentry under arrest The Tile sentry clicked one twenty days das on the time wheel that is is he received twenty-one twenty days days' s Field No 0 1 1 or crucifixion as na Tommy terms It IL This consists of oC being bein spread led ed edon on tho tilO wheel of 01 a limber two hours a lay day for twenty one days regardless of ot the time weather During this period your yoni rations ration c consist of bully beef bed bis biscuits and water A few months later I met this sentry and anti he ho confided to me that since being being- crucified he has never failed tailed to pass the word down own the tho trench when so ordered In view of ot the tho offense the time above e punishment was Very light in that failing falling to pass the word down a trench ma may mean menn the thc loss of or man many lives and anti the he spoiling of or some important enterprise in no mans man's land lana |