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Show THE LEIII SUN. LEIIt UTAII PAGE TWO v. ihiit ho ?r at 1 11 ness mamg me CHE VRO By LEONARD NASON Illustrations by IRWIN MYERS, D.S.G. Crlsht 0r. H. Dor- Oorap.nr. STORY FROM THE START Sergeant Eadla and Private Dnrcy, lately discharged from a boapltal, behind the front, In France, become bored and disgusted dis-gusted whb life In replacement camp. They elude the guard and go over the hill to find and rejoin inelr old outfit, the Sev-enty-nlnih field artillery. At Vaucouleura they are told their outfit haa moved up beyond Toul Late next day they find their organization or-ganization In the woods. Both men are worn out and hungry but drive on the German position posi-tion la to begin In an hour, and Kadi la commanded to go along. The Americana prepare to launch an early morning attack agatmt the Germane at Saint Mihlel. The Americana are pleaaantly sur-prlsed sur-prlsed at the little resistance met in their advance; the Germane evidently pulled out In the night. Eadle Is sent back to report the successful advance to his captain A few nlfthta afterward, four sergeants, Eadle, Ham, Baldy and Short Mack, Inseparable companions, com-panions, sleep together. Eadle finds bis old friend. Red Jake, .who haa Just been transferred to his company, and they stay together. to-gether. On a night march the columns are drenched by heavy ahowera. CHAPTER III Continued "I'll say this." remarked Eadle, kneeling carefully down and lowering first cup and then messkJt to the ground, "this Is as floe a meal as I've bad (or some time." He looked around fot Ham and the rest of his gang. Ham and Short were already making their way cautiously toward him, and Jake and Baldy were about two-thirds served. "The chow hounds have got too much in their messklts to run around to the rear of the line still eatln'," remarked Hum. "luh can't eat with both hands full. Yesterday them wops took to their heels and got Into line again the minute they was served, -r And then they stood in line and gulped down fast to get their messklt empty by the tide the? gut to the tabJes again." "They ought to put a stop to that, ' said Kadle. A long blast of a whistle Interrupted him. "Tenshunl" bellowed the first sergeant, ser-geant, who had taken his stand near the mess line, where all could bear lilra. The clatter of the messklts and the scrape of spoon on pan were Instantly In-stantly stilled. "This afternoon." said the first sergeant ser-geant when all was quiet, "the buttery but-tery will take a bath. All duty will be suspended but that of bathiu'. Gun crews and the different details will oe brought up by their section chiefs and checked off on the roll. No roe ex cused. No one I All ouckets to be brought to the mess sergeant directly after dinner. The liaison detail will report to me right after dinner to cut wood, dig a hole, and rig up tarpaulins tar-paulins for a batbhousa. They wilt also keep the fire goln' an' the water hot. Is there anyone thai did not bear tne?" i "How come the liaison detail?" muttered mut-tered Endie aghast. - "Ah I" said the first sergeant, look Ing haughtily at Eadie dowu his nose, "little game of crap behltid the hay bales this morning, el. Thought didn't see, en? The brain squad will do a little work with their hands this afternoon and It will not be rolling bones, either." V The grlunlng faces of a hundred odd men were turned toward Kadle. He proceeded to eat. with burnlug ears and made no comment. As for Bnldy and Jake, they grinned sheepishly. "That's all!" barked the first sergeant, ser-geant, and the clutter of feeding began be-gan again. The liaison detail reported after dinner. They dug a hole for a Are. put handspikes over It to form a grate, cut wood for fuel, and rigged two tarpaulins tar-paulins to form a shelter against (lie biting wind. Then, having filled several sev-eral buckets and a 0. I. can with water, they set them on the grate and started the fire. It was hard and arduous vork. especially the rigging of the tarpaulin, for the ci.nvas wus wet and stliT and the wind blew It down as fast as they got it up Thai i'jiilie and Short Mack were both ser gennts and supposedly exempt from manual l.ilxir made no difference. They worked with the rest If the? kicked at working as servants they would probably be working as privates pri-vates the next day. The bathers began to arrive and un der the supervision of the u7t sergeant, ser-geant, they entered the tollhouse, uu dressed, scrubbed themselves well, dressed, and came ou: again. The Motions followed each other In order and the liaison detail., who . really formed the fifth section, bathed In their turn. Eadle was putting on his clothes and iied Jake bad just appeared with two buckets full of water and the news that the water cart bad gone for another load, and that he bad plundered plun-dered the supply the ek bad saved for i He rurr-c's coffee. "Sif'rcant Eadle. called the first sergeant, "report to the battery coni-aUnnder." coni-aUnnder." . Jske im-l Short looked soberly at Eadle, while the latter sergeant's heart did a sickening flop. He brushed but bands and went forward. The battery commander led Eadle a little bit away and, having cleared bis throat, began. "Sergeant, we're going to another party. The battalion commander bas asked for a sergeant who can adjust fire and repair telephone lines to accompany ac-company the liaison officer. Well, now, there's only one N. C 0. In the battalion that can do that, and that's yourself, so you'll have to go along. Take one other man and report to the battalion right away. Who will you take with yon?" , "I'll think I'll take the new man," said Eadle. "the big red-headed guy." "That gorilla?" cried the captain. "Well, suit yourself. I understand that Mack and some other man will relieve you after twenty-four hours. You're going wttb the Infantry of some other division, the way you did at Saint Mihlel "Is tbts going to be the same kind of a picnic, sir?" "No," said the capaln, slowly, "this Is going to be a real, old Issue, Mark 1 scrap. There's a lieutenant going with you. He'll do the worav You're going along as a sort of dog-robber, and to take his place If he's a casual-ty. casual-ty. Well, good luck If I don't see yott again." Eadle went hurriedly back and put on bis blouse. "Put down those buckets, Jake," said Eadle. "Put on your blouse and come with me." "Where are you going?" cried Short Mack. "lie's going up to the front to shoot crap in a shell hole for a couple of days and get shell shocked again," remarked re-marked th" top. "Eadle, if I bad your luck I'd be satisfied to be born a Chink." "What's all this?" cried Short "Another party, Short," replied Eadle. "I'll see you and Baldy tomorrow tomor-row night, up on the lines. Come on. Jake," "Caisson section, come on In I" bellowed bel-lowed the first sergeant, and Jake and Eadle took their departure. Under the tree that sheltered the liaison detail's tarpaulin, Eadle made his preparations. In bis musette, a small bag be carried slung from one shoulder, he put his toilet articles, a towel, two short lengths of candle, -a box of pistol ammunition, two well-sharpened well-sharpened pencils, a small can of beans and a tin box of hardtack. In his pockets be had a knife, a notebook, note-book, a flashlight, a briquet, matches and cigarettes. He belted on his pistol and canteen, rolled overcoat and slicker slick-er and slung them across hts breast, and hung his gas mask over all. "After a week of theft and barter," said Eadle to Jake, "I managed to gather quite an outfit. The only thing I lack Is a pair of field glusses, but if the night Is dark enough I'll have 'em before daylight. Look, Jake, dont take anything that you can do without, with-out, because you've got to carry it on your back, you know. 1 wish I bad a pack carrier, but I haven't, so I can't take any blankets. Never mind. I've got a good thick overcoat 1 picked out after a whole after noi i's bunt at l.e Cornenn. I d n near got caught with It, too. The birds that lived in the barracks where I got It came back a half hour early from drill." "What are we going to dor asked Jake. "Nothing," wild Eadie, "but go along with a bunch of doughboys and get a chance at seme souvenirs. Come on.' I can see the gang clustering around the battalion now." CHAPTER IV Seven Men to the Yard Black, black night, mist, and cold. From the darkness came ' i steady, prolonged sound of marching feet, a rattle of carts, and a hoarse cry of. "Keep over. G d d n It!" from time to time. There were halts at Inter vals, when men came to an abrupt stop by running ngulnst the men In front of them. The men cursed, olfi-cers olfi-cers on horsehack cursed, the cry t. "(let going up there! Get on ahead!" would run down the column for miles. At last the stream would start forward again, a thousand rilles would settle as they were Ehlfted to a new rubbing place on the shoulder, a hundred sticks would fall on as many machine gun mules, a thousand men would mutter. " . how much farther we got to go?" From this stream four men detached themselves end, going off the road a little way, came to a collection of shattered shat-tered houses. One of the men openea a door and lifting a blanket to one side said: "This is the place. Watch the stairs. The four went In. felt their way down a stairway, lifted another an-other blanket and entered a 'arse room, lighted with candles and lanterns. lan-terns. Here two men of the four wt-nt away and the other two louktd about for a place to sit, and finding none better than the floor, sat on that. The two that sat were Sergeant Eadie and Jake, and the two that bad gone away were the artillery liaison officer atd an infantry gulda. "What's this placer asked Jake U a whisper. "This Is some kind of a P. C" answered an-swered Eadle, "brigade or division. There are too many men In It for a regimental." The two looked flho"' them. On all sides were tables, half dozen telephone Instruments, maps spread wide and held down by field glasses and pistols, officers everywhere, every-where, cigarette smoke in clouds, by the door a bench full of runners with red brassards, who 'were continually going out wltb messages. "Look It them boche Tsuld Jake suddenly. sud-denly. Eadie, with a quickening pulse, looked across the room. There were four wounded Cermans there on stretchers, their muddy boots half biding bid-ing their faces from Eadle's gaze. They were all old, their hands were wasted and thin, and the uniforms faded, daubed with mud and torn. "They probably got them - In some last minute mid," said Eadie. "I told you this affair wouldn't amount to anything. How much nerve does it take to fight a bunch of grandfathers like that?" ."Well, some one's takin' a serious view of It," muttered Jake. "I never seen, so many people on the road at once since the last world series I went to." He thought of the miles of crowded roads that he and the sergeant ser-geant bad traversed since leaving the battery, roads Jammed with trucks, with tanks, with heavy guns, with light guns, ambulances, machine gun and ammunition carts, with every kind of a military vehicle tbat has wheels or a caterpillar tread. The two bad left the battery with the officer, had met the infantry guide, had ridden a long time in a truck, then in an empty ambulance, and bad finished the Jour ney on foot, marching with a regiment of Infantry. "lou might give a guy some Idea of what ail this stuff Is about," complained com-plained Jake. "You said It was a soft Job. If this is a soft Job, breakln' rocks Is a rest cure. I ain't walked so much since the time I got bounced off a freight In Minnesota." "Every one bas to walk In the army," Bald Eadle, "All that you'll have to do on this detail la look wise. The looey will have to do all the work. You see tie battery fires by map, on areas that have been doped oat beforehand, be-forehand, and It fires according to a schedule, so long on this section, so long on the next, and so on. Well, ir the infantry gets held up and can't keep up with the barrage, or the barrage bar-rage Is too slow, or If It begins to get oft It he target, then the artillery liaison officer gets a call from the unit commander that he's with and It's up to said officer to fix the barrage again. He can do It by sending you or me back with the message, by firing a rocket, by showing a panel to an airplane, air-plane, and if we have a wire strung, by telephoning. The best way Is the rocket They have a flock of rockets with different colored balls and they get up a code before the scrap and then if the Infantry wapt anything done to the barrage, up goes the rocket, and It's done. Maybe." Eadle began to roll a cigarette. "Jake," he continued, "you want to use Bull Durham all the time until you get Into the scrap. Save your tailor-mades until then. It's not much fun trying to make a cigarette in a high wind, or In a black night, when you've got the shivers from machine gun fire, too." "I've got some chewln'," said Jake. "Cigarettes Is so much-fog. I've got a half plug o' chewln' the 'Y' fellar give me, and three cigar butts. That ought to last me." "This Is a good time to fix our gas masks," said Eadie. "Let's get 'em on and tied good. We may not use 'em, but one gas shell Is enough to put a guy away and It's only a fool thai takes a chntice on gas. One trip out to hospital for gas Is enough. Here comes our. Iwey." "Put your gas masks on," said the lieutenant, kneeling beside Eadie. "Alert position, we're going up to th Juni!-off right away. Now, then, they've given me two rocket codes, so you can hnv one. There's four of each type of rocket. I'll keep two and give you each one set apiece. We've got a new model pistol to shoot them oiT with." This division we're going with is a silk bat outfit, they've goi ail the latest stuff Browning machine guns and auto rifles. Tlssot gas masks, new model helmets, all the latest wrin kles." The ofiicer folded up a map that he bad In bis hand and fitted it into bis ocket. Eadie took bis gas mask from the carrier and applied a little of the ami fog preparation to each eyepiece. He put on the mask, saw that it was In working order, and then put it carefully back In the carrier car-rier again. He and Jake assisted each other to put their masks In the alert position. The mask was habitually carried slung on a long web strap from the right .shoulder. When In an area where gas might be expected, a Hmple hooking np of the web on one side brought the gas mask on the chest, suspended by the shortened carrying strap from the neck, a cord went behind the back to keep the mask from swinging and It was the custom of the men to pass this cord through the carrying strap, pulling the strap down the back, and thus removing remov-ing the weight of It from the neck. Another officer came hurrying out of the fog of cigarette smoke, Ready T he asked. "Whenever you are," answered the artillery officer. "Come on." The four of them went up the stairs and, waiting at the top until there was a break In the traffic, crossed the road and followed the guide among the ruined houses. "That's another division there, said the guide, indicating the marching troops. "Our battalion Is the flank battalion of the division. Our troops are more to the west and we're going another way, where there aren't so many men walking up your back." "You seared, Eadie?" whispered "Scared b 1." replied Eadla "The worst we'll get out of this will be the loss of a night's sleep. I was scared to death at Saint Mihlel. No klddln'. Jake, I lost ten years off the end of my life that night When a man really gets a bayonet through blm that's the end, but when be Just thinks about getting one through blm he suffers. Man, I died every kind of a death. By G d, I was so scared I could feel the blood running out of wounds I didn't have. Well, when we started out to the attack I didn't see a single man get hit You remember what a dud that drive was. This one will be the same. Ym no more scared than I would be on a practice march in the training camp." They passed a long line of machine gunners laklng their weapons from the carts and preparing to go forward with them on their shoulders. A steep muddy slope rose before them, up which they climbed with considerable difficulty, and then up again, like the cars of a scenic railway. At the top of this second hill they paused to catch their breaths. "This is us." said Eadie. "I had a hunch it was," replied Jake. Stray shells crumped and coughed and from time to time Eadle cou' I hear the sharp bark of a seventy-five from somewhere over the hill behind him. Just such a night as the one before be-fore Saint Mihlel. He felt his scalp tingle and his heart beat a bit faster1, bnt he fought against any feeling of excitement "I'm never going to be scared again." he muttered. "Shshshsh!" cautioned the guide. "Here's where we go in." He led the way Into a narrow trench, and following a telephone wire, pausing now and then to read a sign that was set In the trench wall, he arrived finally at a dugout "This Is the temporary P. C" whispered the guide to the liaison officer. "There's only room In there for two, the major ma-jor and the adjutant. The rest of the officers are around the next traverse and the men are about eight or ten yards farther on In the old fire trench. We'll go In and report." "Where will you two be when I want you?" the officer asked Eadie. "We'll warn- to find a place to sleep, sir," answered Eadie. "We'll come back here In the morning." "Now, don't get lost," admonished the liaison officer. "We'll want you badly tomorrow. This is goihg to be a serious matter when It starts. What ore you laughing at?" "Nothing, sir." said Eadie, the dark- grinning. , "These birds give me a pnin," con-tinned con-tinned Eadie. as be and Jake went for. ward to find tbe fire trench where tha Infantry were. "They keep saying. Oh, this Is going to be a tough fight Oh, this Is going to be a go-getter of a battle I Have yoo got a first aid packet? Have you got plenty of pistol ammunition? Good-by, brave boy, If death should part ns.' You'd think they were trying to scare us. Well, I won't be scared." They turned a traverse and found themselves in a broader trench. The glow of a distant flare showed that it was full of men, but Eadle's sense of hearing bad told him that some seconds sec-onds before. These men talked to each other, they got op and sat down again, their equipment rattled, and all the time they talked, swore, whistled and some even sang. "Jake," said Eadle, "it's time yon were getting training In observation. All this racket means that this Is a green outfit. I dont know who they are, or where they came from, bnt they don't know anything about war. Their stunt is to get some sleep and not make so much noise. Give as a hand up on this parapet Ym going to do some bunk police." "On the parapet?" gasped Jake. "Sure," said Eadle, "It's quiet there. I can He on the sandbags and keep out of the mud." "The boche?" asked Jake with hor ror In his tones. "The boche h 1 1" replied Eadle. "The boche went home to mamma an hour ago. Vta going up." He clambered clam-bered to the parapet, put on his overcoat end his slicker over It and lay down on the sandbags. "Come np, Jake?" be Invited, leaning his bead Into the trench. "No," said Jake, "I'm comfortable. I ain't bungerin' t' git killed before my time. I'll wait till morning before I go over any top." Eadle endeavored to sleep, but he could not seem to compose his mind. The men in the trench made too much noise. The bombardment started, and this time he could hear the shell exploding ex-ploding on the German positions. "Be yourself," muttered Eadle. "Yon made a fool of yourself the last time. This Is liable to be a bigger farce than the other." The infantry quieted down after a time and Eadie managed to get some sleep. Only In snatches, however, for he was awakened by the burst of a shell close at hand, and when the effect ef-fect of that had worn off the sound of tbe detail cutting wire disturbed him. Eadie, sitting up to see If be could see the wire cutters, noticed that the black color of the night was fading. "Daylight 1" he thought Almost immediately im-mediately be heard the voices of the officers in tbe trench arousing tbe men. He climbed down into the communication com-munication trench, settled his helmet and adjusted bis gas mask. The artillery ar-tillery liaison officer came out of the shallow dugout followed by two men in trench coats who must be the major and adjutant Pow! Bong! A long rattling rumble, rum-ble, like the crackling of nearby thunder. thun-der. Tbe barrage had started. "Ten minutes and then for it" said the major calmly. Eadie looked at him. The major's face was cold and Impassive, but there had been a tiny cracked note In bis voice, a slight hummtag of bis words that meant nervousness. The major's face waa round and full and there were no lines on It that come from fighting battles, whether In business or In war. "How's your courage, Jake?" grinned Endie. "Don't get your tall down. This waiting Is the worst part of It 1 invite you to a drink In the first jerry canteen we come to. Have a tailor-made?" Jake replied obscenely. He removed re-moved his- helmet and, selecting a cigar butt from the net in its interior, he put it In his cheek. (TO BE CONTINUED. Flute Players Never Popular as Neighbors Flute playing appears to have gone out of fashion and It has been suggested sug-gested that this is because of the denunciation de-nunciation that the Instrument has received re-ceived from the pens of eminent writers. writ-ers. Violinists and pianists sometimes figure In fiction as heroes and heroines, but performers upon the flute are generally gen-erally Introduced into novels only as comic or unpleasant characters, says the Philadelphia Inquirer. At least three comic characters of Dickens were flute players: Dick Swtveiler, who took to it as a "good, sound, dismal occupation." and was consequently requested to remove' himself him-self to another lodging; Mr. Mell. the schoolmaster, who "made the most dismal sounds I ever heard produced by any means, natural or artificial,' and the young gentleman at Mrs. Tod gers' musical party who "blew his melancholy Into the flute." Bulwer-Lytlon wrott of a clever schoolboy who "unluckily took to the Rubber Replacing Metal Rubber Is proving a durable substitute substi-tute for Iron, steel and other metals In various Industrial processes. One of Its increasing uses is In linings tor grinding mills. In a cement plant where one-Inch rubber sheets were used in a mill charged with 45 WM pounds of steel balls, not even "tbe cloth on the rubber's surface had been worn off after 90 days use. and the rubber was not worn more than one sixty-fourth of an inch after fourteen months of serUce, say, Po05ar Mechanics Magazine. One explanation of, this is tlat rubber absorbs the la- flute and unfitted himself for the present pres-ent century," and Charlotte Bronte .resents "inept curates" as performing perform-ing jonon it. Then there was also Goethe, who summed up the case against the flute thus: "There la scarcely a more melancholy suffering to be undergone than what is forced upon us by the neighborhood of an Incipient In-cipient player on the flute." A Rapid Sightseer wPArl' KreCOrd' fr raP'd sightseeing ere beaten recently when a visitor from Detroit did 4,000 pictures in the National Gallery. London, represent! tj-seen minutes, beating by seven minutes the previous record made iS W-J 'by a native of Buffalo. lunriLnS't0r ?rrived at 12:25 th a ?S . arP?intment one o'clock. lower ,1 " be b&C T,sIted and 1' JieMonnn,. the Guildhall d;Je i?, "7thedraL He had also Z L I ShPpins !n the Strand and. a, ne remarked, he would have Brtti ?T free for to the ; hS Kensington muse! Fri th Wa"ace ection. rZ? t Cont!ntal Edition of the London Daily Mail. 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