Show 4 f 1 t H 1 g r a g si g p. p i E g g if a. a u I 1 Copyright 1918 S Continued from Yesterday a CHAPTER XIV XIV Continued U I PUN arrival in the fire firc trench an 0 officer r eer of the he Royal En Engineers gave us our nr instructions an and 1 acted as guide y We e were to 0 d dig an ad advanced nce I trench two hundred re yards Y f from rom t tile the IC Germans t tim the IC t trenches s a at t ll this IllS p point 0 were l lc iv 1 n UH b. J. J V 11 u 1 l J Two winding winding- lanes lance five feet teet wide had been cut through our barbed wire for the pas passage g e o of the diggers From these lanes white tape ha had been laid on the ground to th the point where we were to commence work This in order that we wo would not get feet lost Inthe in inthe inthe the darkness The proposed trench was as also laid out with tape Tho The covering eling party palt went out first After a short wait walt two scouts came I back with Information that the working working work work- jn ing party was to follow and carry carryon carryon carryon on with their work In extended order older two yards apart we noiselessly crept across No Mans Man's Land It was as nervous work expecting expecting expecting expect expect- ing er e every minute for tor a machine gun gunto gun gunto gunto to open fire on us Stray bullets cracked crackel around us or a ricochet sang sang- overhead Arr Arriving at the taped diagram ram of the tho trench rifles slung around our OUI shoulders we lost no time In getting to work AVe We dug as quietly a as possible pos pbs sible but every cry now an and then the thc noise of or a pick or shovel sho striking a astone astone I stone would send the tho cold shivers ers down our backs s. s Under our breaths 1 we heartily cursed the offending Ton my At Intervals a star shell would go o up UI from tho the German lines and we would remain motionless until the the glare of ot its white light died out When rhen the tue trench had reached a 1 depth of or two feet we felt safer because It it would afford us cover In case cas we se were discovered and fired on Tho The digging had been in progress about two hours when suddenly hell seemed to break breal loose In the form of or machine gun Aun an and rifle fire ire We c dropped down on our bellies Inthe Inthe in inthe the shaH shallow ow trench bullets knocking up the ground and snapping In the tho air Then the shrapnel butted In The music was hot and Tommy danced The covering erIn party part was having a rough time of or It the they had no cover just had to take their medicine Word Yord was wag passed down the line to beat it for our trenches We Yo needed no urging grabbing our and stooping low we legged It across No NoMan NoMan Man Land The covering ering party got awa away to a poor start but beat us In The They must have had wings because we lowered the record Panting and out of or breath wo we tumbled tumble Into our line front trench I tore m my hands getting through our wire but at the time didn't notice It m my journey was too urgent When hen the ron roll oli was called we found round that we wo had gotten It In the nose for tor three sixty three r-three casualties I Our artillery put a barrage on Fritz's Fritzs s 's line front and communication trenches and their theft machine gun and rifle fire suddenly ceased Upon the cessation of this fire stretcher bearers went out to look for fOl killed and wounded Next ext day we learned that twenty-one twenty of our men had hall been killed and and thirty-seven thirty woun wounded ed Five Fi men mon were missing they must have In tho the darkness got ot lost and wandered Into the thc German lines where the they were either cither killed or captured Speaking of ot stretcher-bearers stretcher and wounded woun ed it Is II very hard for tor the average aera average av a av- av era e civilian to comprehend the lie enormous enormous enor enor- cost of or taking caro care of wounded and the war in general He lie or 01 she gets HO so accustomed to seeing billions of dollars In print that the significance of the amount Is passed over o without thought h t. t From an official statement published In one of oC the London papers it is stated that It costs between six and seven oven thousand pounds to 35 to kill or wound a u soldier This result was attained b by taking the cost of ot the war to date and i dl dividing lnA it b by bylie bythe the lie killed and wounded I It ma may sound heartless and Inhuman inhuman man but It Is a fact tact nevertheless ne that from a military standpoint It is betI better better bet bet- ter tel for or a man to be he killed than I wounded vo U n ii ed If a a- aman man Is killed he lie Is burled buried and I the responsibility of or the government go ceases excepting for 01 the fact act that his I people receive recel a pension But Dut If a 1 aman aman man Is wounded it takes taJes three men from the tiring firing line the wounded man I and two men to carry carn him to the rear to to- the to-the the advanced ad first aid post Here he hc Is attended b by a doctor perhaps assisted b by two R R. A. A M. M C. C men Then he Is put into a 3 motor ambulance manned b by a crew cre of two or 01 three At Atthe Atthe the tho field CleM hospital where he ho generally cO goes I either cither to toh h have ve hiss his wounds cleaned or 01 to bo be op operated op- op crated on he lie e requires the services Ices of oC about three to five tive persons From this point another ambulance ride impresses impresses im im- im- im presses more men In his service and then at nt the ambulance train another corps of or doctors R. R A. A M. M C. C men Red fled RedCross RedCross Cross nurse nurses and the trains train's crew From the train ho enters the base hospital hospital hospital hos hos- pital or Casualty Clearing Station I where a good corps of doctors nurses etc are arc kept busy Another ambulance Journey Is next in order order- this time to the hospital ship He Tie crosses the Channel arrives in iii Blighty hl more more ambulances and perhaps a ride for tor five fl hours on an En English lish Red fled Cross train with its crew cro of Red fled Cross workers workers workers work work- ers and at last he reaches the thc hos hos- pital Generally he stays from two to six months month or lon longer er in this hos hos- pital pUal From here he lie Is sent to a convalescent con con- t homo home for tor six weel weeks s. s If by bv wounds he is unfitted CorI for Cor I further service he lie Is discharged given en givena a it pension or committed to a Soldiers Soldiers' Home Ilonie for or the r rest st of his life life and and still the lie expense piles up When you ou realize that all aU the ambulances trains and ships ship not to mention the power man-power used User In transporting a wounded man could be u used cd for or supplies ammunition and reinforcements cements for or tho the troops at atthe atthe the thc front it will not appear strange that from a strictly military standpoint stand stand- point a dead man Is som sometimes better than a live lI ono one if wounded Not long after the first dl digging parly part party par par- t ly ty our General decided after a careful care care- ful ul UI tour of or Inspection of the communication communication cation trenches upon an Ideal spot i as ho he termed it it ft for or a machine gun lIn empl em em- I pl placement Took Tool his map made a dot doton doton on it it and as he was wont wrote dig l 1 here and nd tho the next night wo we ring rillS There were twenty In the party part myself my my- self rH included Armed with picks shovels and empty empt sandbags we arrived arrived ar ar- ar rived at the thc i ideal eal spot and started digging inK The moon was very bright but we se did not care as we were well out of or sight of the lie German lines We c had gotten oUen about three feet down Town when the fellow next to me mc alLot after a mi mighty ht stroke with his pick let go o of or the handle and nd pinched his nose with his thumb and forefinger at atlie atthe atthe the lie same time letting out the tue explosion explosion explosion sion Gott strafe me mc pink Im I'm bloody blood well gassed not alt alf I aint I quickly quick quick- ly turned in iii his hiA direction with Ith an an n In Inquiring inquiring In- In quiring look at the same Instant reaching for m my gas Kas bag I soon found out ont what was ailing him One whiff was enough an and I lost no time in also alo pinching my nose The Tho stench was as awful The rest of ot the digging party part dropped their picks and shovels and beat I it t for tor the weather side o of that solitary tar pick The officer came over and Inquired why the work worle had suddenly sud sud- denly ceased holding our OUI noses we se simply pointed In the direction of or the smell mell He lie went over to the tho pick immediately immediately im im- im- im mediately clapped his hand over o his nose nORe made an about turn and came came back Just then our Captain came caine along and investigated lt but after about a n minute said Raid we had better carr carry on with the dl digging gln that hint he did not see seewhy seewhy why h we should have stopped as the theodor theodor theodor odor was as very faint but if it necessary he would allow aHo us to use our gas helmets helmets helmets hel hel- mets while digging inG ho he would woud stay ta and andRee see Ree the lie thing through h. hut lie he had to report back at Brigade Headquarters Immediately We e wished that we were Captains and also had hind a date late at Brigade Brigade Brig Brig- ade II Headquarters With our gas as helmets on we again attacked that hole and uncovered unco the thc decomposed body of or a 11 German Gorman the pick was sticking sticking stick stick- ing lug in hI his chest One of ot the men inca menI fainted I was that one Upon this I our Lieutenant halted proceedings and sent word back to headquarters and work came camo back that after we filled tilled In the bole ole we wc could l knock off or tor the night This was wa's welcome welcome- tidings to tous tous tous us us because because- Next ext day the General changed the dot lot on his map and another emplacement I mont ment was Completed the following I right nIght The Thc odor ollor from a dug up decomposed I human body bod has an effect which is hard to describe It first produces a nauseating feeling which hichi especially after eating causes vomiting This relieves you temporarily but soon a weakening sensation follows which leaves you ou p as a dish rag Your spirits are arc at their lowest ebb an and you I feel a sort of hopeless helplessness and andI anda a mad mall desire dc to escape I it t all to get getto getto ct I to the open fields s and the perfume of the thc flowers In Blighty DlIght There Is a sharp prickling sensation in in the nosI nostrils nostrils nos nos- I which reminds one o of breathing coal gas through a radiator in the floor and you OU want to sneeze but can can- not This was the effect on me surmounted sur sur- mounted b by a vague ague horror of or the thc awfulness of the thing and an l ever ever- recurring reflection that perhaps I I. I sooner or later Inter would be in such a a- state and bo he brought blought to light by the blow ow o of a pick liCk In the han hands s of sonic some I Tommy on a l digging party Several times limes I have c experienced this odor but never could get used to it tho the enervating sensation was always alwa's present It made mo me hate war and wonder Vh why such mch things were countenanced counte counte- by civilization and alJ all the spice and glory glor o of the conflict would woul I disappear leaving heaving the grim reality But after r leaving len the lie spot pot and filling fillingI I your lungs with deep breaths of pure l fresh air you OU rOI forget et and once a again aln r want to he be tip up and at them Continued Tomorrow |