FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   >>  
s to the skin. Six hundred yards from the enemy's front we tumbled into the trenches already in possession of Battalion B, and I found myself ankle-deep in mire, beside a unit of another regiment who was enjoying a cigarette and blowing rings of smoke into the air. Although no enemy was visible we got the order to fire, and I discharged three rounds in rapid succession. "Don't fire, you fool!" said the man who was blowing the smoke rings. "Them blanks dirty 'orrible, and when you've clean't the clay from your clothes t'night you'll not want to muck about with your rifle. There's a price for copper, and I always sell my cartridge cases. The first time I came out I fired, but never since." Several rushes forward followed, and the penultimate hundred yards were covered with fixed bayonets. In this manner we were prepared for any surprise. The enemy replied fitfully to our fire, and we could now see several khaki-clad figures with white hat-bands--the differential symbols--moving backwards and forwards amidst the trees. Presently they disappeared as we worked nearer to their lines. We were now rushing forward, lying down to fire, rising and running only to drop down again and discharge another round. Within fifty yards of the coppice the order to charge was given. A yell, almost fiendish in its intensity, issued from a thousand throats; anticipation of the real work which is to be done some day, lent spirit to our rush. In an instant we were in the wood, smashing the branches with our bayonets, thrusting at imaginary enemies, roaring at the top of our voices, and capping a novel fight with a triumphant final. And our enemies? Having finished their day's work they were now fifteen minutes' march ahead of us on the way back to their rest and rations. CHAPTER VIII THE GENERAL INSPECTION AND THE EVERLASTING WAITING One of our greatest trials is the general inspection, which takes place every month, and once Lord Kitchener inspected the battalion, in company with the division quartered in our town. But that was before I joined. It involves much labour in the way of preparation. On one occasion, midnight the night before, a Friday, found us still busy with our work. My cot-mate was in difficulties with his rifle--the cloth of the pull-through stuck in the barrel, and he could not move it, although he broke a bamboo cane and bent a poker in the attempt. "It's a case for the armoury," he remarked gloomily. "
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   >>  



Top keywords:

enemies

 

forward

 
hundred
 
bayonets
 
blowing
 

fifteen

 

finished

 

minutes

 

CHAPTER

 

intensity


rations

 

Having

 

anticipation

 

voices

 

instant

 
thousand
 

spirit

 
issued
 

smashing

 
branches

capping

 

triumphant

 
roaring
 

thrusting

 

imaginary

 

throats

 

Kitchener

 

difficulties

 

occasion

 

midnight


Friday

 
barrel
 

attempt

 

armoury

 

gloomily

 

remarked

 

bamboo

 

preparation

 

inspection

 

general


trials

 

greatest

 

INSPECTION

 

EVERLASTING

 

WAITING

 

joined

 
involves
 
labour
 
quartered
 

inspected