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Show L-l7ci He UMans Score toe I ey servant j frh J? rf$ Wf tSVr 3Lll IS (S WAV 1! iHI fea ,,,, i Arthur uuy Emmpey j Of (g W Ulf Ul ww Jllli on the Western Front : JLH I ewspiiper Syndicate.) The Lion Growls. The English lion was rearing, and his growls could be heard all aJong the western front. No doubt many a German Ger-man general was stirring uneasily in his arge conerete shell-proof dugout, kilos aehind the German froat line, as the n er-increasing thundering roar reached 313 ears. We had a elose-up view of his majesty, majes-ty, the king of beasts, and to us ho was i sorry looking specimen. Patches of lide vcre worn away, while in his tail .vere two big knots. If these knots lfld been labeled it would have jeen easy to read "Xeuve Chapeile" ind " Gallipoli. " The memory and pain if these two disasters no doubt in-:reased in-:reased the intensity of his thunder. The British bombardment of the Ger-nan Ger-nan lines was on, a bombardment which aster over eight days and nights. It vas the forerunner of the big push, or j.ittla of the Somme. atwell and I were sitting in a dug--)ut of the support trench. Atwell was l great, big, lovable fellow, and was ny mate. We both had been detailed to :he divisional intelligence department, ind were engaged upon "spy work." Atwell, although of a naturally cheery lisposition, occasionally relapsed into ;its of despondency. In the light from a stump of a can-lie can-lie I was making out my previous day's eport to turn into brigade headquar-ers. headquar-ers. Occasionally the entrance to the higout would liglit up with a red flare is a shell burst in the near vicinity. twell was sitting on his pack, with lis back leaning against the wet and middy wall of the dugout. The rays-'rom rays-'rom the candle lighted up his face. Finishing my report, I got out a 'rag," lighted it, and with an uneasy 'eeling listened to the roar of the hell mtside. A long-drawn sigh caused me 0 look in Atwell 's direction. Never n my life have I seen such a dejected ind woebegone countenance. This, in a vay, angered me, because I, mvself, ight then, had a sort of unknown dread, )erhaps intermingled with a far-away onging for the fields and flowers at lome. I wanted to be cheered, and At-vell's At-vell's face looked like a morgue. Forcing a smile I slapped Atwell on he knee and said: "Come out o' your trance. We've ioth got a good chance for blighty vitb this bombardment on." Atwell looked iu my direction, and in 1 tone of voice which from him I had lever heard before, answered: "Yank, I've been out since '14. I've juried many a mate and I've seen many i lucky bloke on a stretcher bound for 31ighty, and never gave it a thought, ut right now T feel as if. my stay in he trenches will he short. I've had iomeVhing on my mind since September, 1014, and it's been worrying me pink. ' 'ra going to tell you the story, and ''11 give you my oath that you're the 'irst one that's ever heard it from my ips; but I've got to have your proni- ise that you '11 not judge me too harshly. harsh-ly. I've just got to get it out o' my system. ' ' " Just then a sighing moan could be heard overhead. Tt was one of our " nine-point-two " shells aimed in the direction of Berlin. We both instinctively instinc-tively turned our eyes towards the entrance en-trance of the dugout and waited for the burst. Nothing happened. "Another bloomin' dud," ejaculated Atwell. "A few more hundred pounds gone to seed," and then again the gloomy look spread across his countenance. counte-nance. L was getting nervous and uneasy. un-easy. Trying to hide my fear, I said: ''For th ' love o ' Mike', Atwell, crack a smile. Give us that story of yours, or else I'll go bughouse. You had better get it off of your chest, because I ':n thinking that Fritz will soon be replying reply-ing to our strafeing, and if an eight-inch eight-inch shell ever hits this dugout they '11 need no wooden exosses for us, because our names will appear under the caotion ' Missing. ' ' ' With another sigh escaping from his lips, which senti a cold shiver up and down my spinal column, he lighted a fag and started in. This is what he told me: My Mate's Story. "It was back in September, 1914. You know I came out with the first hundred hun-dred thousand, the time when all tho fighting was done in the open. The Germans w-ere smashing everything he-fore he-fore them in their drive on Paris. Our regiment was one of the fetv opposed to Von Kluck. It was a case of hold them for a few hours and then retreat always al-ways retreat. We didn't even have time to bury our dead. The grub was rotten, and we were just about tagged out, dead tired, with no prospect of a relief or rest in front of us. "It was customary for small pat.'ols of ten 1o twenty men, in charge of a sergeant, to reconnoiter on our flanks. One day i was sent out in charge of one of these parties. Oh, yes, I was a sergeant ser-geant then, but I lost my stripes -disobedience of orders they called it. I suppose I ought to feel lucky 1 wasn't shot, but I'll leave it to you whether I did right or not. "At that time I was in for a commission, commis-sion, but, of course, didn 't get it. If I had received it, no doubt by this time I 'd be pushing up the daisies somewhere in France. In those days officers didn't last long -made fine targets for the Boches. "This patrol I was in charge of carried car-ried rations for three days. We were to scout around just in front of the advancing ad-vancing enemy, but our orders were not to engage them just get information. If the information obtained was valuable valu-able enough, I was to send it in by ono of the men. There were fourteen of us, and we were mounted. I was in the Lancers then, and was considered a fair rider. "The first day nothing happened. "We just scouted around. By nightfall we were pretty tired, so when we came to a village wasn't a village, either: just five or six bouses clustered around a church decided to go into billets for the night. "Riding tin to the largest house, which had a four-foot stone wall running run-ning around its garden, I dismounted at the gate and knocked with the hilt ol my sword. Pretty soon a light appeared at the front door the house was on a sort of n knoll, so this door was in plain view. Then the sweetest voice I ever heard" called out iu trembling tones, in perfect English, too, but witn just the susyiicion or an accent: ' 'Who is there, please?' "I answered, 'Just a few English Lancers who desire a place to rest for the night. The barn will do. We don't want anything to eat, as we have rations ra-tions with us. So, if you "will accommodate accommo-date us, miss, I will he much obliged.' I was iu love with that girl before I saw her the voice had done the trick. ;She answered. 'Just a moment, please, until I tell father,' and then the door shut and the light disappeared. We didn 't have to wait long before the door opened, and she called to me: il 'Father bids you welcome, and so do T, soldiers of England.' "Then she opened the gate. There she stood on the gravel path with the lantem held shoulder high. I trembled all over thought I saw a visioa. I tell you, Yank, she was beautiful. One of the kind you would like to take in your arms, but won't for fear of crushing. crush-ing. No use for me to try to describe her, Yank, it's out of my line; but she captured me, heart and soul. There I stood like a great, big boob, shaking shak-ing and stuttering. At last I managed to blurt out a stammering 'Thank you, miss.' "She showed us the way to the stables, sta-bles, and stood in the door holding the lantern so we could see to unsaddle. 1 was fumbling around with the buckles, but for the life of me couldn 't get that saddle off. One of the men with a wink and a broad grin, came over and helped me. That grin got my goat, so, on the sly, I kicked him on the shin. He let out an explosive 'Damn.' -After that 'damn' the silence was painful. The poor fellow felt like a fool. I was sorry for him, even though I could have killed him for his thoughtlessness. But our embarrassment was short-lived, because a silvery laugh came from behind be-hind the lantern, a laugh that was not loud, but it echoed and re-echoed among the rafters overhead. I can hear it I right now, Yank. I "After the horses bad been unsaddled ; and fed, the men looked appealingly at I me. I knew what they wanted they j were dog tired, and dying to hit the hay. ; Just as I was about to ask permission I for them to turn in, the angel butted j in with: "'Poor, tired soldiers, sleepy and; hungry. Come right into the" house. Jean lias some supper and wine ready I for vou. ' "We stammered our thanks and followed fol-lowed her into the house like a string of sheep. Yank, to me that meal was a dream. She flitted around the table, ! filling a glass hen1 and there, laughing with us, and making us fed at home. The war was forgotten. By this time I was madly in love with her, and she knew it. because when she leaned oyer my shoulder to replenish my glass with red wine, her hair would bruth my cheek, and once r-he rented her hand ou my shoulder and gave it just the slightest slight-est squeeze. I was in heaven. "Tt was getting l;tc, and the wine was beginning to tell on the men. They were falling asleep in their chairs. I had a hard job waking four of them to go on guard. They got their rifles and were standing around me for instructions, instruc-tions, when our hostess came over to me, and, resting her hand on my arm, with again the slightest of squeezes and pleading eves, interceded for tlieni. " 'Sergeant,' she said, 'let the poor boys sleep. They are so tired. There is no" danger. The Germans are miles awav. knew this to be true. Do this for me.' And flL'ain that squeeze. ' "I, like a fool, listened to her, and gave an unwilling assent. The men looked their gratitude, .lean, the manservant, man-servant, led them out to the barn, where an abundance of hav had been spread for their beds. I was following, when a whisper in my car made my head swim : "'Don't go yet, my sergeant, stay with me. ' "I stayed, worse luek. ""We sat on a settee, talking, and her arm stole around my waist. I wasn't, slow, either, and as you know, Yank, 1 have a pretty good reach. Once she i spoke to me in French, but T shook my ; head in bewilderment. In a few rniti-; utea the servant returned, and Adrienne. she told me her name called him to her, and said: Wine for English Soldiers. " Mean, go down in the wine cellar ! and get some of that old port and give , it to the soldiers of England. Poor ; boys, it will warm them.' Who added something in French I could not under-I under-I stand. Then she added: i " 'Leave a bottle here for the ser-! ser-! geant and me.' ; "I protested against more wine for j the boys. Her pleading overruled my ! good judgment, and T consented. The I servant left to do her mission, and 1 I proposed. Her answer was a kiss. J was the happiest man in France. "Presently Jean returned, and silently silent-ly placing a bottle and two glasses on the table, withdrew. We were alone. She took the bottle, and, pouring out a glass of wine, touched it to her lips and anded it to me. with this toast: " 'Drink, my sergeant. Drink to our betrothal. Drink to the honor of France. Drink to the honor of England. Drink to the confusion of our enemies.' "I drank with my fool heart pounding pound-ing against my ribs. Then blackness. "When. I awoke, T was lying on the settee, my head bursting with pain. The gray dawn was filtering through the curtained windows, and there, in the middle of the room, with my Adrienne i in his arms, stood a captain of Uhlans. T was a prisoner. I saw it all in a flash, .he had betrayed me. .Now I know why site bad wanted no guard posted. That wine we pledged our troth in was united. VWint nn ass L had been! "I closed my eyes and pretended to he ;isce;t. They were talking in German. Ger-man. Pretty soon the captain came over and roughly shook me. 1 only grunted. With an exclamation of disgust, he called out in German. Two troopers came iu. and, lifting me by t lie shoulders shoul-ders and feet, carried me out into the air. i slightly opened my eyes, and ?aw that I was being carried out to the gate, wit ere two horses were standing with their reins thrown over a hitching post. Py the cqu ipment, T knew one of the h o rses be! o n god to the captain, while the other was the orderly's. The two troopers dumped me down ou the road, one giving me a kick with his boot. 1 w a s lying on my left s i 1 e , a n d by a certain - hard pressure on my ribs, 1 knew they had neglected to search me. That pressure was my automatic pistol. A feeling of exultation rushed over me. I would euchre them yet. 'Tate worked into my hands. A hail in German came from the stables, and one of the troopers left to answer it. The odds were even, one against one. 1 slowly turned over on my "face, as if in sleep, and my fingers grasped the butt 1 of the automatic, but just then I heard steps on the gravel walk. The captain and Adrienne were coming toward me. "She stopped beside me, and said in English: i ' 1 ' You poor, English fool! Make love to me, will you ! Good-by, my foolish sergeant. While you arte rotting in prison think of your Adrienne, bah!' "ilv hand gave the butt of my automatic auto-matic just the slightest squeeze,' I was thinking of her hand on my shoulder. Well, two could play that game. "The captain said something to the orderly, who left in the direction of the house. Now was my chance. Springing to my feet and leveling the pistol at the captain, I grabbed the reins cf his horse from the post and mounted. The orderly order-ly came running toward me, yelling qut in German, and I could see soldiers emerging; from the stable. I had to act quickly. "When T mounted, the captain reached for his revolver. I covered him with mine, and, with a shriek of terror, Adrienne threw herself in front of the Uhlan captain to protect hira. ! T saw her too late. My bullet pierced her left breast, and a red smudge showed ! on her white silk blouse as she sank to i the ground. T.shot the orderly's horse : to prevent immediate pursuit, and then j away on a mad gallop down the road, j It was a long- chase, but I escaped them. "The rest of my men were captured. At our headquarters, I had to lie like a trooper. Told them we had been ambushed and wiped out. Tt was the only way to save my skin. There were no witnesses against me. so T got off with reduction to tho ranks and a transfer trans-fer to another regiment. They smelled a rat, all right, but had no proof. "So that is my story. Yank. Just forget that I ever told it to you. j Knuugh to make a fellow e-ot the bines i occasionally, isn't it ? dust pis me a , faur. and take that look off your ia-e. '-' j 1 ave him the cinrcitc, and, with- i out a won!, wont out of the duiout, and left him alone. 1 was thini.itiv; of Adrienne. German "Minnies." Upon reaching the trench I paused in wonder and fright. The sky was alight with a red sjiar3. The din was terrific.; A constant swishing and rushing i through the air, intermingled with aj sighing moan, ave testimony that our batteries wore sweating blood. T h o trench seemed to be rolljnir like a ship. 1 stood in awe. This bombardment of ours was something indescribable, and a shudder passed through me as 1 thought of the havoc and destruction caused in the German lines. At that moment L I really pitied the Germans, but not for I because suddenly hell seemed to bur.st loose from the German lines as , their artillery opened up. 1 could hear their 1 ' five-nines ' ' screeching through the air and bursting- in the artillery lines in our rear. Occasionally a far-off far-off ru m -rum -rump-rump-C rash! Bru-u-nn-n-g-p:! could be heard as one of their hijih-ealibered shells came over and burst in our reserve. T crouched against the parados, hardly able to ; breathe. While in this position, right j overhead, every instant getting louder, j tame a German shell whiz-z-x! bang- j g-g! I was blinded by the flash. Down I 'went into the nuid. Struggling to I mv feet in the red glare of the horn- bardment, T saw (hat the traverse on my ieft had entirely disappeared. Covered Cov-ered with mud, weak and trembling. 1 could hear what sounded like far distant voices coming from the direction of the bashed-in traverse. "Blime me, get "is bloomin napper outa- th' mud; c 'a choking to death.: Pass me a bandage tyke 'is.b'yonet. fer a splint. Blime me, 'is log is smashed, not :arf h'it h 'aint. Th ' rest o' you blokes ''op it fer a stretcher. ' ;Ello, 'e 's got another one quick, a tourniquet, the poor bloke's a'bleedin' to death. Quick, h'up against the parapet, para-pet, 'ere conies another." ; Whiz-z-z! Bang-g-g! ! Another flare, and once again I was thrown into the mud. T opened my eyes. Bending over me, shaking me by the shoulder was Atwell. His voice sounded faint and far away. Then I came to with a rush. "Blime me, Yank, that was a close one. Did it get you?" He helped me to my feet and I felt mvself all over. Seeing I was all right, he yelled into my ear: ''We've got to leg it out of 'ere. Fritz is sure sendin ' over 'whiz-bangs' and 'Minnies.' Number 9 platoon in the next fire bay sure clicked it. About eighteen of them have gone west. Come on, we'll see if we can do anything for the poor blokes." We plowed through the mud and came into the next fire "bay. Tn the light of the bursting shells an awful sight met our eyes. The traverses were bashed in, the 1'irc step was pone, and in tlu parados was a hole that looked like 1. subway entrance. There w.as mini tint Mood ".all around. An officer or llu Koval Army Mo'ica! corps ami severa stretcher bearers were uorkini: like tin jans. Wo offered our aid, which wa: cpadlv accepted. Eoi'v now and then, duckitic as ? 'whU-i.auo;" or Millie" came over we ninnaeed to yet four of the vonipio. on tho stretchers tnnl AtwaMl nnd ' carried ou.e to tho rear to the larst an. drossine. sttuion. Wo passed tho dug out which 1 had left but a few mm utes before, or. at ioast, what used H bo tho dutjont, but now all that could 1 soon was a envod-in mass ot tiirt: hum squtiro-cnt timbers sticking out of tlu yround ami silhouetted against tho lishl . from 1111:511111; shells, lookinfr like huci "iains. A shudder passed through mc as 1 realized that it' we had staved ir-tho ir-tho du emit wo would have now been Ivinf fiiieen to twenty feet down, cov-e'mfby cov-e'mfby that caved in 'earth and wreck a";o. "Atwell jerked his head in the direction direc-tion of tiie sinasheddn dugout and; a-was a-was his wont, remarked: How about that fancy report vol were writing out a few minutes ago Didn't lMell vou thatUt never paid tf make out reports in the front line.' It ? best to wait, until vou srot to headquar tors, because what s the use of wast ing all that, bally time when yon re li-ablivto li-ablivto be buried in a dugout.'" Turning mv head to listen to Atwell r ran plumn'into a turn in the trench A shout came from the form on the stretcher: "Whv in the bloodv 'ell don't yea blokes look whore vou 're agoin'? You'd think this was a bloomiu' Pieudilly buss anil I was out with my best girl on a jov-ride. ' ' I mumbled mv apologies and the torn relapsed into silence. Thou the nuubh Touuuv on the stretcher began to mum I ble. Atwell asked him if he wante., anything. With a howl of rage, lie an swered: Of all the bloody nerve do 1 wani anything only a bloody pair 0' crutches. 0 dish of fish and chips' anc a glawss of stout. ' ' When we came to the first aid dress ing' station we turned our charge ovo; to some K. A. M. ('. men, and, ducking and running through the communication trench, wo at lasi reached one of tin ronmv aud safe "Klephant Dugouts.' At hist we were safe. Stumbling ovei the feet of men we canie to an unoc oupied corner and sat down in the straw-Several straw-Several candles were burning. Grouped around these candles were a lot. of Tommies, their faces pale and a frightened fright-ened look in their eyes. Strange If say. the conversation had nothing to do with themselves. They were sympathizing sympathiz-ing with the poor fellows in the front line who were clicking it. T must have dropped off to sleep. When I awoke it was morning, and after drinking our tea and eating our bread and bacon, Atwell and I reported report-ed to brigade headquarters, ami were again detailed into tho front line trench. |