AN
(Continued from last week.)
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I—Fired by the news of the
sinking of the Lusitania by a German
submarine, Arthur Guy Empey, an Ameri-
can, leaves his office in Jersey City and
goes to England where he enlists in the |
British army.
CHAPTER II—After a period of train-
ing, Empey volunteers for immediate serv-
jce and soon finds himself in rest billets
“somewhere in France,” where he first
makes the acquaintance of the ever-pres-
ent ‘‘cooties.”
CHAPTER III—Empey attends his first
church services at the front while a Ger-
man Fokker circles over the congregation.
CHAPTER IV—Empey’s command goes
into the front-line trenches and is under
fire for the first time.
CHAPTER V—Empey learns to adopt
the motto of the Brtish Tommy, “If you
are going to get it, you'll get it, so never
worry.
“Shut your blinkin’ mouth, you
bloomin’ idiot; do you want us to click
it from the Boche¢s?”
Later we learned that the word, “No
challenging or firing, wiring party out
in front,” had been given to the sentry
on our right, but he had falled to pass
it down the trench. An officer had over-
heard our challenge and the reply, and
immediately put the offending sentr:
under arrest. The sentry
tweilty-one days on me wheel, nat 1s,
he received twenty-one days’ field pun-
fshment No. 1, or “crucifixion,” as
Tommy terms it.
’ This consists of being spread-eagled
on the wheel of a limber two hours 2
day for twenty-one days, regardless of
the weather. During this period, your
rations consist of bully beef, biscuits
and water.
A few months later I met this sentry
and he confided to me that since being
ssorucified,” he had never failed to pass
the word down ‘the trench when so or-
dered. In view of the offense, the
above punishment was very light, in
that failing to pass the word down a
trench may mean the loss of many
lives, and the spoiling of some impor-
tant enterprise in No Man's Land.
2 oO
Mola
CHAPTER VL
“Back of the Line.”
Our tour in the front-line trench
lasted four days, and then we were
relieved by the —— brigade.
Going down the communication
trench we were in a merry mood, al-
though we were cold and wet, and
every bone in our bodies ached. It
makes a lot of difference whether you
are “going in” or “going out.”
At the end of the communication
trench, limbers were waiting on the
road for us. I thought we were going
to wide back to rest billets, but soon
found out that the only time an in-
fantryman rides is when he is
wounded and is bound for the base or
Blighty. These limbers carried our
reserve ammunition and rations. Our
march to rest billets was thoroughly
enjoyed by me. It seemed as if I
were on furlough, and was leaving be-
hind everything that was disagree-
able and horrible. Every recruit feels
this way after being relieved from the
trenches. .
We marched eight kilos and then
halted in front of a French estaminet.
The captain gave the order to turn
out on each side of the road and wait
his return, Pretty soon he came back
and told B company to occupy billets
117, 118 and 119. Billet 117 was an
old stable which had previously been
occupied by cows. About four feet in
front of the entrance was a huge ma-
nure pile, and the odor from it was
anything but pleasant. Wsing my
flashlight I stumbled through the door.
Just, before entering I observed a
white sign reading: “Sitting 50, lying
20,” but, at the time, its significance
did not strike me. Next morning I
asked the sergeant major what it
meant. He nonchalantly answered:
“That's some of the work of the R,
A. M. C. (Royal Army Medical corps).
It simply means that in case of an at-
tack, this billet will accommodate
fifty wounded who are able to sit up
and take notice, or twenty stretcher
cases.”
It was not long after this that I was
one of the “20 lying.”
I soon hit the hay and was fast
asleep, even my friends the “cooties”
failed to disturb me.
The next morning at about six
o'clock I was awakened by the lance
corporal of our section, informing me
that I had been detailed as miess or-
derly, and to report to the cook and
Ave *him a hand. I helped him make
the fire, carry water from an old well,
and. fry the bacon. Lids of dixies are
used to cook’ the bacon: in. After
breakfast was cooked, I carried a dixie
of hot tea and the lid full of bacon to
our section, and told the corporal that
breakfast was ready. He looked at me
in contempt, and then shouted, “Break:
fast up, come and get it!” I immedi-
ately got wise to the trench parlance,
and never again informed that “Break-
fast was served.”
It didn’t take long for the Tommies
to answer this call Half dressed,
WE
IT
AMERICAN SOLDITR
WHO WENT
ARTHUR GUY IMPLY
MACHINE GUNNER, SERVING IN FRANCE—"=
ft. WN
©1917 BY
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY |
they lined up witn their canteens and
I dished out the tea. Bach Tommy
carried in his hand a thick slice of
bread which had been issued with the
rations the night before. Then I had
the pleasure of seeing them dig into
| the bacon with their dirty fingers. The
| allowance was one slice per man. The
| late ones received very small slices.
As each Tommy got his share he im-
mediately disappeared into the billet.
Pretty soon about fifteen of them made
a rush to the cookhouse, each carrying
a huge slice of bread. These slices
they dipped into the bacon grease
which was stewing over the fire. The
last man invariably lost out. I was
the last man.
After breakfast our section carried
their equipment into a field adjoining
the billet and got busy removing the
trench mud therefrom, because at 8:45
a. m., they had to fall in for inspection
and parade, and woe betide the man
who was unshaven, or had mud on his
uniform. Cleanliness is next to godli-
ness in the British army, and Old Pep-
per must have been personally ac-
quainted with St. Peter.
Our drill consisted of close-order
formation, which lasted until noon.
During this time we had two ten-min-
ute breaks for rest, and no sooner the
word, “Fall out for ten minutes,” was
given than each Tommy got out a fag
and lighted it.
Fags are issued every Sunday morn-
ing, and you generally get between
twenty and forty. The brand gen-
erally issued is the “Woodbine.” Some-
times we are lucky and get “Gold-
flakes,” “Players” or “Red Hussars.”
Occasionally an issue of “Life Rays”
comes along. Then the older Tommies
immediately get busy on the recruits
and trade these for “Woodbines” or
“Goldflakes.” A recruit only has to
be stuck once in this manner, and then
he ceases to be a recruit. There is a
reason. Tommy is a great cigarette
smoker. He smokes under all condi-
tions, except when unconsciuos or
when he is reconnoitering in No Man’s
Land at night. Then, for obvious rea-
sons, ne does not care to have a light-
ed cigarette in his mouth.
Stretcher bearers carry fags for
wounded Tommies. When a stretcher
bearer arrives alongside of a Tommy
who has been hit the following couver-
sation usually takes place: Stretcher
bearer—*“Want a fag? Where are you
hit?” Tommy looks up and answers,
“Yes. In the leg.”
After dismissal from parade, we re-
turned to our billets and I had to get
busy immediately with the dinner is-
sue. Dinner consisted of stew made
from fresh beef, a couple of spuds,
bully beef, Maconochie rations and wa-
ter—plenty of water. There is great
competition among the men to spear
with their forks the two lonely pota-
toes.
After dinner I tried to wash out
the dixie with cold water and a rag,
and learned another maxim of the
trenches—“It can’t be done.” 1 slyly
watched one of the older men from
pnother section, and was horrified to
see him throw into his dixie four or
five double handfuls of mud. Then he
poured in some water, and with his,
hands scoured the dixie inside and out.
I thought he was taking an awful risk.
Supposing the cook should have’ seen
him! After half an hour of unsuc-
cessful efforts I returned my dixie to
the cook shack, being careful to put on
the cover, and returned to the billet.
Resting Back of the Lines.
Pretty soon the cook poked his head
jn the doer and shouted: “Hey, Yank,
conte out here and clean your dixie!”
X protested shat I had wasted a half-
hour on it already, and had used up
my only remaining shirt in the at-
tempt. With a look of disdain he ex-
claimed: “Blow me, your shirt! Why
in —— didn’t you use mud?”
Without a word in reply I got busy
with the mud, and soon my dixie was
bright and shining.
Most of the afternoon was spent by |
the men writing letters home. I used
‘my spare time to chop wood for the
‘cook and go with the quartermaster to
‘draw coal. I got back just in time to
issue our third meal, which consisted |
of hot tea. I rinsed out my dixie and
returned.it to the cookhouse, and went
back to the billet with an exhilarated
feeling that my day's labor was done.
T had fallen asleep on the straw when
once again the cook appeared in the
‘door of the billet with: “Blime me, you
Yanks are lazy. Who in —— a-goin’ to
draw the water for the mornin’ tea?
Do you think I'm a-goin’ to? Well,
Tm not,” and he left. I filled the dixie
with water from an old squeaking well,
and once again lay down in the straw.
CHAPTER VIL
Rations.
Just dozing off ; Mr. Lance Corporal
butted in.
In Tommy's eyes a lance corporal is
one degree below a private. In the
corporal’s eyes he is one degree above
a general.
He ordered me to go with him and
help him draw the next day's rations,
also told me to take my waterproof.
Every evening, from each platoon or
machine-gun section, a lance corporal
and private go to the quartermaster
sergeant at the company stores and
draw rations for the following day.
The “quarter,” as the quartermaster
sergeant is called, receives daily from
fhe orderly room (captain’s office) a
slip showing the number cf men en-
«itled to rations, so there is no chance
of putting anything over on him. Many
arguments take place between the
“quarter” and the platoon noncom, but
the former always wins out. Tommy
says the “quarter” got his job because
he was a burglar in civil life.
Then I spread the waterproof sheet
on the ground, while the quartermas-
ter's batman dumped the rations on it.
The corporal was smoking a fag. I
carried the rations back to the billet.
The corporal was still smoking a fag.
How I envied him. But when the issue
commenced my envy died, and I real-
ized that the first requisite of a non-
commissioned officer on active service
is diplomacy. There were 19 men in
our section, and they soon formed a
semicircle around us after the corporal
had called out, “Rations up.”
The quartermaster sergeant had
given a slip to the corporal on which
was written a list of the rations. Sit-
ting on the floor, using a wooden box
as a table, the issue commenced. On
the left of the corporal the rations
were piled. They consisted of the fol-
lowing: :
Six loaves of fresh bread, each loaf
of a different size, perhaps one out of
the six being as flat as a pancake, the
result of an army service corps man
placing a box of bully beef on it dur-
ing transportation.
Three tins of jam, one apple and the
other two plum.
Seventeen Bermuda onions, all dif-
ferent sizes.
A piece of cheese in the shape of u
wedge.
Two one-pound tins of butter.
A handful of raisins.
A tin of biscuits, or as Tommy calls
them “jaw breakers.”
A bottle of mustard pickles.
The “bully heef,” spuds, condensed
milk, fresh meat, bacon and “Macono-
(Continued on page 7, column 1.)
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If Not, Read What Others Say About This Marvelous
Remedy.
ATER
GOLDINE ALTERAC A WONDER.
Mr. J. I. Yarnell, of Hublersburg, a
Well Known and Much Respected
Farmer, One of the Most Independ-
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To know Mr. Yarnell with his
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A RELIABLE FARMER PRAISES
GOLDINE.
J. B. Shope, of Curtin, Pa., who by
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If you want to know more about
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Shope, Curtin, Pa.
THE GOLDINE MAN
—at—
GREEN’S PHARMACY.
Call and see him and let him explain
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will you let it help you?
GOLDINE is used in the treatment
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Price $1.00 per bottle.
GOLDINE ALTERAC is used for
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tle. :
GOLDINE LAXATIVES, are used
for constipation, costiveness, liver
trouble, gall troubles, congestion of
the liver and for cleaning the organs
of digestion and excretion. 25c per
0X.
_Goldine or Goldine Alterac will be
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GOLDINE COMPANY, N. C,
(Eastern Ohio Division)
Youngstown, Ohio.
ESTABLISHED IN 1853.
LEGGETT'S
GUTH’S
JANSON'S
Green's Pharmacy Co.,
a3 TNE largest and oldest Drug Store in Centre County
Chocolates
PERFUMES
FINE LINE TOILET ARTICLES
AND SUNDRIES
Shoes.
Shoes.
SHOE SALE
YEAGER'S SHOE STORE
MARCH
=) AT (—
Dr the month
This is not a sale of another store’s
stock, but a sale of my own good quality
will reduce the prices on all shoes.
of shoes at Reduced Prices.
NOW IS YOUR TIME
to purchase your needs in the shoe line,
even though you may not need them for
months to come.
Girls $7.00 Tan, High Top, Low Heel
Shoes Reduced to $5.00.
of March 1
RD ER,
YEAGER'S SHOE STORE
THE SHOE STORE FOR THE POOR MAN
Bush Arcade Building
Come to the “Watchman” office for High Class Job
58-27
BELLEFONTE, PA.
En ——]
LYON @ COMPANY.
Spring and Easter Fashion Display of
Coats, Suits and Blouses
Suits and Coats in many exclusive models.
In style, workman-
ship and quality all that a fastidious person may desire and fully
twenty per cent. lower than purchases made at a later date.
Early buyers will have the advantage of a full line to select from
and the advantage of lower prices.
SILKS! SILKS!
35-inch All Silk Taffetas and in combinations of colors in
and plaids.
Special price - - - : -
stripes
$1.75
35-inch Messalines and Taffetas in all the new plain colors, black
and white included. The quality same as sold everywhere at
$1.75 ; our price - - - - - - :
Georgette Crepes and Silk Voiles, Chiffon Cloths to match all
colors.
NECKWEAR.
$1.50
Gold, Silver and Persian Bands for the Empire waist.
The new spring Neckwear is dainty and beautiful. The long
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lar and cuff sets in washable satins and organdy.
TAR
RUGS AND CARPETS.
OUR RUG DEPARTMENT IS NOW AT ITS BEST.
SHOES.
Having bou
to sell these goods now at prices
SHOES.
SHOES.
ght our Spring line of Shoes months ago, we are able
less than cost of manufacture
today. For Men, Work or Dress Shoes; Ladies’ Shoes in high
black, white and tan; Low
hoes for Ladies’ in black and white,
Oxfords and Pumps; Children’s high and low Oxfords in black,
white and tan.
RUMMAGE SALE.
Having finished our annual inventory, we have placed on sale a
wonderful line of Dry Goods, Underwear, short ends in Silks,
Wash Goods and Woolens. To clean up odds and ends these are
marked away below cost.
Lyon & Co. --» Bellefonte.
work.
»
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