Show the fusilier Fusi fier giants under fire by sergeant arthur guy empey author of over the top first call etc z qi 0 0 0 mr empens experiences during his seven teen Months in the first line trenches Tren dies of the british Britis li army in france copyright IM 1317 by tin continued from last issue curly ducked ills his lead head and nd happy let out a squeaky laugh I 1 wits was frozen stiff with fear ear pretty soon boon the pump notion action of my illy heart was resumed and wore more I 1 look looked ed out into no land and for the file remainder of our 1 i hours ria ri guard nothing lion hen wo we turned over to 0 tho the second relief relict and halt frozen wended bended our wity the ley mud to tile the entrance of 0 ou I 1 ap dugout hi sout from tile depths of tile lie oarth cilin tile notes of a pl playing ayIn 1 pack up your troubles lit in your old kit hag bag wid smile dintle smile stumbling down the steps wo we entered tile the tin gout about eight boys of our section sitting on nn parks lind fori tied a circle around a a i boi in tin nn old ill flit ln ix is candles won burning I 1 in irr i ily shuddered tit nt this efti 4 pm ernt 0 o but slid suddenly remembered f iliin it was christinas eve salor nill dill waa i 11 snaking inah lilg cocoa over alv i ipa of it a ITo ays cooker whilo key alonney wits ton toasting sting broad in front of a trench tiro fire bucket tho fumes from which nearly choked us As soon is wo we made our appearance athe dugout the circle stood up tip and nals with tho the english anade room for us to get around the ire fire bucket to thaw out our stiffened joints in about twenty nil minutes or so the lie cold of tile the trench was vua v ua and wo we joined in the iho merriment tho the niu mi put ills hla barmon len away and bursting with importance sailor na its v it Is TIOW now timp tv cpr till k A As I 1 V 4 aw T V A I S 1 4 did you see that out in front yank company to report progress to what they have dono done tor for tile christ lins food feed la Is to be oc hold hohl tomorrow nt at eight bells yank lets hear yours ours I 1 reported report id ono flazon dozen eggs two tro bottles of white wino ono one bottle of red ml wine eight hackl ts of gold cold finke trigs anti one lunil which cost me five francs at it french estan duct tills this report wits ans received with 11 0 chei r ikey alonney ans next in ill ordel anler ile iio proudly stated that lie 11 iino ad fave lita ills r uni nun issue for the lie insl elv cliv el clivan V cn 11 days da and cons consequently ly wn As alo to donate to tho tha feast ills waley bottle three fourths fourth tull full of ruin this would help out in anal ang brandy sauce for alio plum pud pudding aing balfor bill that lie io had a fruit cille a 0 bottle of pickled walnuts and two una tins of deviled linin which had been sent ecat ont oat to man liim frith Liin london don each ell mail binau h hart ad something to report I 1 core care fully ninde made n ast of tile articles opposite the name of the person donat donating them and turned tile llyl M 1 over 0 0 bill who vats to net ns as ook on tho following duy day just enst then unco lanco corporal hall came into the dugout and Avart ning ills handa over tho ire firel bucket said i if yon mohea blokes arant want to bear some bonie thing that cliot will buhe you homo to ty como come up into the alio alro trench a nil 11 nono none of 0 us coved that fart bucket t wal atter rauch bolling sailor gailar bill ikey M stonney enfil ef ana myself followed hall out of the dugout mid find up lit into the lire trench A lead dead silence reigned and we started to return hall blocked our way and whispered just a minute hoys boys and listen pretty soon from tile tho darkness out in front ave Q heard the strains of it german cornet playing pinning its it long long troll were winding wo we stood entranced till tile lust list note lied filed out after about a four or five min uto wait the strains of alio the Su Avance river niver were crafted wafted across no slina land toward us I 1 felt lonely and homesick out of the darkness dar Uness from tile ire fire tiny liay on our loft left a welsh voice started singing its at a long long troll it was bei infill tile berinati Geri nati cornet player inyim arill st lieve heard it because lie he picked lip file mille and the on oil lils ills cornet I 1 had never heard anything to beautiful in lily iny lite before ill the from tho the fernian trench ceased and in tle the air overhead lillne the sharp f of ji gun till bullets vs ca in nie bloche gunner butted in on oil the i wiit wi it anve t ducked and returned ucil to rr I 1 the lot it were all tired out and mil snores could bf be heard roin roia antler tho cover of blankets blanket s nud overcoats nver coats tile tho next ilay day was vas christinas 4 and we eagerly awaited tile the mall which was to ile he brought up by the HIP ration party at noun not a shot or shell had been fired ill till morning the sua had coule come out and although the tr anches were slippery pe ry with mud still it vas arnam find ye Q felt the christmas spirit running through our veins wo nil all turned in und and cleaned up tho the dueour making reflectors out of tins ticking them thein into the walls of tho the dugout we placed a lighted candle ou ench each tho the rays from which turned into lay day bill was hustling about preparing the christmas spread lie ile placed it a waterproof sliest on tho the imer and udd ing three blankets lie he another waterproof sheet over tile the top op for a table cloth and arranged arron ged alie ti a mens packs around the edges for clealis cli alis airs presently the welcome voice of out our sergeant came front from the eri entrance trance ot of the dugout conic como on mo me lads ads lend a hand with tile the mall mail there was n road mad rush for the entrance in a couple of oc minutes or lie boys returned staggering under load I 1 id of parcels As earh carli name naine AVON read oft off a parcel would bo be thrown over to tile tho expectant tommy my heart was boating with as tho sergeant picked up each parcel then a n pang or of disappointment as the name was read oft off 17 each neli man in tho the logout dugout received front from one to four parcels there was rag still one left I 1 rould could feel their eyes sympathizing with mo me sailor whispered something to the sergeant that I 1 could not get the sergeant turned to me and said why bliele nio me yank I 1 must tb hi oln in balmy I 1 left your parcel up tip lit in tile trench tren cli ril ill be right back lie ile returned in n few ini with a large parcel addre addressed sped to roe me 1 eagerly tool took lc the he parcel and bool cd for the post intaro it was from lou lon hin dnn another pang pan 9 of disappointment passed through we ine I 1 knew no one in london then it nil all lashed flashed over me in nn instant about two weeks before I 1 had noticed a collection being taken up tip in lite se section rill at tile the time tho thought tight it very strange chilt I 1 was not to donate the bays had nil all cIlIp pod in to make iii jilce suro that I 1 would not be forgotten on christmas they caherly crowded around tile me ns as I 1 opened the parcel it contained nearly everything under tho the gun ain including somo arnoll curt cigarettes teora tears of gritti tude came to mr eyes but some borne lilia I 1 aged not to betray any amsel self thore I 1 commies tommies certainly were tickled at my of delight n ni I 1 removed each article 0 out ut of the corner of my illy eye ee I 1 could fl them thein each other kotlier A antin naillee smith lu in our section detailed ns as runner to our anti vas not present nt at tile tho 0 of the mall mail three pur par als plit and iau five letters were ivere placed on ht hll paek so PO lie ho would receive them on his return to the he dagort lu gout in about ten tell minutes a nian man cama front from tile the trench loaded down with oblong boxes each tommy in eluding myself received one they were pre presents ants from the queen of england end and each box contained it small mull plum phial pudding cigarettes n couple ot of eigoro matches and choco chocolate latex beery liery rol r soldier ol iter in ili the british briny received oro of those these boxes i on christmas tiny at lust last sailor hill bill announced that christmas christinas dinner was ready nud and vo lost no bitne in getting to our respective packs sitting around lit in ft a circle smith was as the only absentee und and ills his parcels and letters lot tera still unopened were on his pack lie ile was now it halt half hour overdue sailor bailor bill noting our eagerness to begin held tip mi ills his hand land and said now kow boys bos were all to tether ether dont you it would be better to walt volt a n few minutes more inore tot foi smith we nil assented but in our hearts we ave were cursing him for ills delay ten minutes passed fifteen then twenty all eyes were turned in ili sailor hills direction ile iio answered nn our loola with 00 oo to it boys we biant walt wait for smith I 1 dont know keeping man him but you ou know ills his mine li Is lit in orders for leave anti and perhaps lie la Is so fielded that lies hes going to see ills his wife ind three little nippers lit in mighty that hes haa lost loit ills his healings bearings and lias has run aground 11 we started in tind waxed merry beriy for a few minutes then there would bo be in an uncomfortable pause pauso and till nil eyes ees would be turned lit in the direction of tile the vacant place uneasiness siness seemed to prevail suddenly tile tho entrance to the dugout ans darkened and a form forill came stumbling down don with one accord wo we all shouted conic come on oil smith youre missing one of nf the ho best christmas dinners of your tife life 11 our sergeant entered the dugout ono look tit at ills his faco face was enough we knew lie he was the bet bearer argir of ill III th tidings lingg with tears lit in lila ills eyes and a catch in ills his voice olce lie he asked askea which Is smiths pack we all solemnly nodded our lienda heads in the ho direction of the vacant place without a vord nord the sergeant picked up the letters parcels and pack land started to leave leao the dugout sailor bill could stand it no longer mad and just as tile the recant was about to leave lie he asked out with it sergeant happened tile the serge sergeant arat turned around and in a 11 choking ole said mid boys janys smiths gone west some bloody german sniper got him through the hie napper as lie he was passing that in part in yiddish street sailor bailor bill ejaculated poor old smith I 1 gone west I 1 then he paused and sobbed out sly god think of ills hla wife and three little nippers waiting in blighty for him to come homo home tor for the Christ laws holidays 1 believe that right tit nt that comez moment t n N sol inn vow ow of vengeance registered alts if in every heart round around that fesui fest t elide il ale 1 lie next tiny we ave burled smith in a litt ti cemetery behind the he alnea while stat 4 ding around ills his gravo grave our artillery suddenly opened up with an intense on the german lines tind us as every eiery shell passed icren screaming ning overhead we ave sent a prayer of ven genrich it As the grave gr no was filled in I 1 imagined a bilgo rainbow embracing ilie ho grave lit in that cemetery on oa which in letter of lire fire wits written aleace Iu ito ou on earth good will men lien but such Is war |