I i i
v . . . j
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I?Fired by the news of the
taking of the Lusltania by a German i
submarine, Arthur Guy Empey, an American,
leaves his office in Jersey City and J
goes to England where he enlists in the j
British army.
CHAPTER II?After a period of train- i
tag, Empey volunteers for immediate service
and soon finds himself in rest billets
"somewhere in France," where he first
makes the acquaintance of the ever-present
"cooties."
CHAPTER in?Empey attends his first
Church services at the front while a Gertaan
Fokker circles over the congregation.
CHAPTER IV? Empey's command goes j
into the front-line trenches and is under
l lire for the first time.
CHAPTER V?Empey learn? to adopt
the motto of the Brtish Tomifiy, "If you
are going to get it, you'll get it, so never ;
worry.." _ .. _
i~~CH33?TER VI?Back In rest billets, EmIpey
gets his first experience as a mess >
> i order!v. $
CHAPTER VII?Empey'learns how me
British soldiers are fed. v
CHAPTER VIII?Back in the front-line
trench, Empey sees his first friend of the 1
trenches "go West."
CHAPTER IX?Empey makes his first
jvisit to a dugout in "Suicide Ditch."
CHAPTER X?Empey learns what con<
\ ,'stitutes a "day's work" in the front-line
r.V..,r i.trench. * -V: .. *j
r' CHAPTER VIII.
. The Little Wooden Cross.
... ('; After remaining in rest billets fori
' feight days, we received the unwelcome j
V; - (tidings that the next morning we would j
Hgo in" to "take over.** At six In the
'* ; morning our'march started and, after
a long march down the dusty road, we
Jagain arrived at reserve billets.
f '. "I was No. 1 in the leading set of
fours. The man on my left was named
"Pete Walling," a cheery sort of fel-j
t low. He laughed and joked all the '
. s: vay on the march, buoying up my ;
iffinooping spirits. I could not figure out
anything attractive in again occupying;.
/ the front line, but Pete did not seem to j
ipind, said it was all in a lifetime. My
left heel was blistered from the rubbing
of my heavy marching boot Pete
noticed that I was limping and offered i
tp carry my rifle, but by this time I had
loomoH the ethics nf the march in the
British army and courteously refused
ms offer.
K; We had gotten half-way through the
communication trench, Pete in my immediate
rear. He had his hand on my
shoulder, as men in a communication
trench have to do to keep in touch with j
: each other. We had just , climbed over
; : a bashed-in part of the trench when
J;In our rear a man tripped over a loose
\ signal wire, end let out an oath. As
Ifi [usual, Pete rushed to his help. To
reach the fallen man he had to cross j
, / this bashed-in part. A bullet cracked
In the air and I ducked. Then a moan
fromthe rear. v My heart stood still.
I went back and Pete was lying on the
?: Aground. By the aid of my flashlight i
vj I saw that he had his hand pressed to
his right breast The fingers were coveted
with blood. I flashed the light
on his face and in its glow a grayishblue
color was stealing over his coun-;
jtenance. Pete looked up at me and
[said: "Well, Tank, they've done me in.
I can feel myself going West." His
yolce was getting fainter and I had to j
kneel down to get his words. Then he 1
gave me a message to write home to
his mother and his sweetheart, and I,
like a great big boob, cried like a baby.
I was losing my first friend of the
' Frenches.
Word was passed to the rear for a
TTo hofAro it Arrived.
w iTwov of us put the body on the
jstretcher and carried it to the nearest
(flrst-aid post, where the doctor took
jan official record of Pete's name, num^
. per, rank and regiment from his identity
disk, this to be nsed in the casualty
lists and notification to his
. - jfamily.
We left Pefe there, bnt it broke onr
hearts to do so. The doctor informed
, jus that we conld bury him the next
morning. That afternoon five of the
[boys of onr section, myself included,
iwent to the little ruined village in the
irear and from the deserted gardens of
the French chateaux gathered grass
> land flowers. From these we made a
jwreath.
; While the boys were making this
; 'wreath, I sat under a shot-scarred
L i apple tree and carved out the followjing
verses on a little wooden shield
f "which we nailed on Pete's cross.
i
'True to his God;, true to Britain.
J Doing his duty to the last,
[Just one more name to be written
| On the Roll of Honor of heroes passed?
{Passed to their God, enshrined in glory,
; Entering life of eternal rest,
'One. more chapter in England's story
; Of her sons doing their best
i'\
jRest, you soldier, mate so true,
j Never forgotten by us below;
* |Know that we are thinking of you,
Ere to our rest we are bidden to go.
1
[Next morning the whole section went
[over to say good-by to Pete, and laid
ihim away to rest.
f After each one had a look at the fac$
[of the dead, a corporal of the R. A.
iM. C. sewed up the remains in a blanjket.
Then placing two heavy ropes
'across the stretcher (to be used in lowering
the body into the grave), we liftled
Pete onto the stretcher, and revi
:*i
^ y-~
.
- '
a i: S
\MDKM 50LMT1
o went * *
fflYMEY
Z CONNER,MG IN FRANCE?'
. ?1917 err !
ARTHIiig COYEftPnr I
erently cov ~od him with a large union
jack, the flag he had died for.
The chaplain led the way, then came
the officers of the section, followed by
nf tho mm pjirrviri2r a wreath. Im
mediately after came poor Pete on the
flag-draped stretcher, carried by four
soldiers. I was one of the four. Behind
the stretcher, in column of fours,
came the remainder of the section.
To get to the cemetery, we had to
pass through the little shell-destroyed
village, where troops were hurrying
to and fro.
As the funeral procession passed
these troops came to the "attention"
and smartly saluted the dead.
Poor Pete was receiving the only salute
a private is entitled to "somewhere
in France."
Now and again a shell from the German
lines would go whistling over the
village to burst in our artillery lines
in the rear.
When we reached the cemetery we
halted in front of an open grave, and
laid the stretcher beside it. Forming
fc hollow square around the opening of
the grave, the chaplain read the burial
service.
German machine-gun bullets were
"cracking" in the air above us, but
Pete didn't mind, and neither did we.
When the body was lowered into the
grave the flag having been removed,
we clicked our heels together and
came t<x the salute.
I left before the grave was filled in.
I could not bear to see the dirt thrown
on the blanket-covered face of my comrade.
On the western front there are
no coffins, and yon are lncky to get a
blanket to protect you from the wet
and the worms. Several of the section
stayed and decorated the grave
with white stones.
Tfiat night, in the light of a lonely
I* i i???
S^wBfl|^n^^raH9H^BxflH|^B^M^fflHHHi
sa^^?nHW^HH^^K::flHH^B:^H^?^?;
|HHHH^BBaHWpK^BwK<w?c^3^^^BH fflK 8 "' ' ii
, , Taking Provisioi
canaie m tne macnrne gunners augout
of the front-line trench I wrote two
letters. One to Pete's mother, the
other^lo his sweetheart. While doing
this I cursed the Prussian war goc
with all my heart, and I think that St
Peter noted same.
The machine gunners in the dugout
1 ^ .. ~v: nnH Tf> thpm
wcic laugmug uuu
I Pete was unknown. Pretty soon, In the
warmth of their merriment, my blues
I disappeared. One soon forgets on the
western front
CHAPTER IX.
Suicide Annex.
I was in my first dugout and looked
around curiously. Over the door ol
same, was a little sign reading "Sui:
cide Annex." One of the boys told
; me that this particular front trench
was called "Suicide Ditch." Later or
I learned that machine gunners and
bombers are known as the "Suicide
Club."
That dugout was muddy. The men
I slept in mud, washed in mud, ate mud,
and dreamed mud. I had never before
realized that so much discomfort and
misery could be contained in those
three little letters, MUD. The flooi
A ? J? ? ?/Iqatv in
Or 1116 UU^UUl >\ an lai.u ucty n.
water. Outside it was raining cats and
dogs, and thin rivulets were trickling
down the steps. From the air shafi
immediately above me came a drip
drip, drip. Suicide Annex was a hole
eight feet wide, ten feet long and sis
feet high. It was about twenty feel
below the fire trench; at least there
were twenty steps leading down to it
i These steps were cut into the earth
| but at that time were muddy and slip
; pery. A man had to be very careful
j ?>r else ne would "shoot the chutes.The
air was foul, and you could cut
the smoke from Tommy's fags with a
knife. It was cold. The walls and
roof were supported with heavy squarecut
timbers, while the entrance was
strengthened with sandbags. Nails had
been driven into these timbers. On
each nail hung a miscellaneous assortment
of equipment. The lighting arrangements
were superb?one candle
in a reflector made from an ammunition
tin. My teeth were chattering
from the cold, and the drip from the
airshaft did not help matters much.
While I was sitting bemoaning my
fate apd wishing for the fireside at
home, the fellow next to me, who was
Writing a letter, looked up and innocently
asked, "Say, Yank, how do you
enoll 'onnffqcrrfltinn'?"
I looked at him in contempt and answered
that I did not know.
From the darkness in one of the corlers
came a thin, piping voice singing
)ne of the popular trench ditties entitled
t
"Pack up your Troubles in your Old Kit
Bag, and Smile, Smile, Smile."
Every now and then the singer
would stop to cough, cough, cough, bu^
it was a good illustration of Tommy's
cheerfulness under such conditions.
A machine-gun officer entered the
dugout and gave me a hard look. I
sneaked past him, sliding and slipping,
and reached my section of the frontline
trench, where I was greeted by
the sergeant, who asked me, "Where1
in 'ave you been?"
I made no answer, but sat on the
muddy fire step, shivering with the
cold and with the rain beating in my
face. About half an hour later I
teamed up with another fellow and
went on guard with my head sticking
over the 'top. At ten o'clock I was
relieved and resumed my sitting position
on the fire step. The rain sudi
denly stopped and we all breathed a
sigh of relief. We prayed for the mornt->r?
flia i>nm Iccna
lllg auu lilt; x uui Iiouvi
CHAPTER X. Tf"
'The Day's Work."
I was fast learning that there is a
regular routine about the work of th?
trenches, although it is badly upset at
times by the Germans.
The real work in the fire trench
commences at sundown. T.ommy is
like a burglar, he works at night.
Just as it begins to get dark the
word "stand to" is passed from traverse
-to traverse, and the men get busy.
The first relief, consisting of two men
to a traverse, mount the fire step, one
man looking over the top, while the
other sits at his feet, ready to carry
messages or to inform the platoon officer
of any report made by the sentry
fe'^^^8fc^fc^*,''^^B^^W'lL'>X'aHEBKjw^HM^^'fy? c< vxffWvff^jg
is to the* Front.
as to his observations in ino Man'!
, Land. The sentry is not allowed t<
relax his watch for a second. If he is
; questioned from the trench or aske<3
his orders, he replies without turning
around or taking his eyes from the ex
I panse of dirt in front of him. The re
;1 mainder of the occupants of his trav
: | erse either sit on the fire step, witl
bayonets fixed, ready for any emer
i gency, or if lucky, and a dugout hap
, pens to be in the near vicinity of the
traverse, and if the night is quiet, thej
are permitted to go to same and trj
and snatch a few winks of sleep. Littl<
sleeping is done; generally the men sii
i around, smoking fags and seeing wh<
I can tell the biggest lie. Some of them
> perhaps with their feet in water, woulc
j i write home sympathizing with the
I ! "governor" because he # was laid ui
L | with a cold, contracted by getting hie
II feet wet on his way to work in Wool
I, wich arsenal. If a man should manage
i nfT likplv As not he would wake
j with a start as the clammy, cold feel
L i of a rat passed over his face, or th<
! next relief stepped on his stomact
, while stumbling on their way to relieve
I the sentries in the trench.
> Just try to sleep with a belt full ol
ammunition around you, your rifle boll
[ biting into your ribs, intrenching too:
I handle sticking into the small of yorn
; back, with a tin hat for a pillow anc
- feeling very damp and cold, witj
, "cooties" boring for oil in your arm
> pits, the air foul from the stench ol
: grimy human bodies and smoke from t
; juicy pipe being whiffed into your nos
? trils, then you will not wonder whj
. Tommy occasionally takes a turn ii
, the trench for a rest.
.While in a front-line trench order;
1 (Continued on page 6, column 1.)
CITATION' NOTICE.
The State of South Carolina?
County of Bamberg?By J. J. Brabham,
Jr., Esq., Judge of Probate.
Whereas, J. H. Roberts, M. D., hath
made suit to me to grant him letters
of administration of the estate and
effects of Mrs. S. E. Roberts, deceased.
These are therefore to cite and
admonish all and singular the kindred
and creditors of the said Mrs. S.
E. Roberts, deceased, that they be
and appear before me in the Court 01
Probate, to be held at Bamberg, on
Wednesday, March 27th,. next, after
publication thereof, at 11 o'clock in
the forenoon, to show cause, if any
they have, why the said administration
should not be granted.
Given un !er my hand and seal this
12th day of March, Anno Domini,
1918.
J. J. BRABHAM, JR.
Judge of Probate.
To Core a Cold in One Day.
Take LAXATIVE BROMO Quinine, it stops the
Cough and Jleadache and works off the Cold.
Druggists refund money if it fails to cure.
E. W. GROVE'S signature on each box. 30c.
If It Helps! S3
R 9 There can be no doiibt I fi
g I as to the merit of Cardui, N
B I the woman's tonic, in
II the treatment of many
troubles peculiar to M
women. The thousands
gkl^j of women who have been
ffij| helped by Cardui in the 71
5 a past 40 years, is conclu- I
gj ja sive proof that it is a
m w good medicine for women
fjLM who suffer. It should
Py8 help you, too. PJJ
^ Take ^
raThe Woman's Tcn!Gg|
%% Mrs. N. E. Varner, of B|B
1 g H Hixson, Tenn., writes: N 0
# g "I was passing through g
ill the ... My back and g | g
j?J| sides were terrible, and &?
rT8 ray suffering indescriba- rfl
ble. I can't tell just how IkT^l
N and where 1 hurt, about V.g
8 g all over. I think . *. I H fl
m 8 began Cardui, and my g I g
g g pains grew less and less, H g
- 11 until Fwas cured. Iam SIH
ir? remarkably strong for a PjV
woman 64 years of age.
^4 1 do all my housework." ^4
gg Try Cardui, today. E-76 W B
Read The Herald $1.50 the year.
jg ARAGON BRA1
I A.M.
I I DRY (
I 2 JOBE
' Manufacture]
|g Being frie
M ^ berg County n
5 H O nice business ;
J H ? assure you our
| m Q way possible 1
i B *5 are pleased to
|p$ our line for sr
M one of vou pa;
? we know we (
C5 wish to call yc
^ by Mr. C. J. T
<! goods first" tc
complete in th
Trusting
ing the comin:
I ^ orders.
IS TH
I? Write
| GE
Represents
ARAGON BRA1
E" ' :
A^A A^A A. Ak jj^k ^i|
I JUST RECEIVED 1
*?* t
| FRESH CEREALS TOASTED OATS YAM NUTS |
| CREAM OF WHEAT QUAKER OATS |
JL nnn/\mTnn 1 f/TTi >
X OI UlNHo tAKCO X
4 VARITIES f
*f 1 x .1;
*
| Indian River Oranges and Grape Fruit |
V r 'Jp
1 tom nucKF.r I I
X 'PHONE 15 WE SELL U. S. WAR SAVING STAMPS BAMERG, S. C. X
>. ?
Teach Children to 1
ML J I rMI Beware of Flies i
- ij^j' ' R ' | Explain to them how flies are hatched ,/ri
K-SflfeI 1 in filth. Kow, after crawling around
| J^S^i 1 in outhouses, privies, manure piles
B.* I, 1 and over dead animals and decayed
BI sjg i matter, they come into the home
n 1 f ffi and wipe their nasty feet on the
1 family food, leaving a trail of dis||
ease germs everywhere. " / ^
| 1 FKes Cause Infantile Paralysis,
S^\A|iL 'J v| ^J Typhoid and Other Fevers
X The best doctc.-s in the world will
? V U pMaMl^ j!$ y?n that flies are the cause of
g 4 \ \ , MMBirVli 11 j.jSjfagg a great deal of sickness, especially
* ? I I(if|Hi\ [I'1 '*I'limBlM summer complaint, infantile paraly- 1 i ;?
sis, dysentery, typhoid and other
B <^T fevers. Don't let flies bring sickBp^iiiHfflinniinniiziii!Mi^Bni3minisii!i26EEniinSi^^^^
iV1L4L^ * 1 iM *J
I FOR SALE AT ALL GROCERS Write for Free Booklet "PREVENT"; f\
ID GOODS ARAGON BRAND GOODS ! B |
<i 7T
> I
ROBINSON CO? j
IOODS & NOTIONS I I
Q ^B '
!ERS AND IMPORTERS ? I
H '
rs of SHIRTS, PANTS and OVERALLS 02 I '/J
ATLANTA, GA. 9
nds and neighbors of tlie merchants of Bam- K
iy house and I wish tovthank von all for the Bj
Bm
rou have given us for the past season. We g
cooperation at both ends of the line in every > B
to serve you to the best of our ability. We . ? 8
say we have ready for shipment anything in fcj 8
immer or fall, and would like to have every W H .
v us a visit to Atlanta at our expense, then [> B
3an do business with you. Especially do I. % B
>ur attention to our silk department, headed q B
Williamson, who always has the " up-to-date O B
> offer you. Our silk department is the most ? B
e entire South. ^ 20 B
I may have the pleasure of seeing you dur
g year, and assuring you promptness on all
E HOUSE WITH THE GOODS > I
or Wire Me When I Can Serve You. O I
Thanking you all, u
o. s. smith 11
BAMBERG, S. C. O I
lg A. M. ROBINSON CO., Atlanta, Ga. I
' * >">:^v35
: '. '- ' . - '/'" '?*. -&.?fj&&