IN THE BILLET

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 91, 10 January 1918, Page 7

IN THE BILLET

PICK AND SHOVEL BRIGADE

"ALL KILLING, NO MEDALS"

r (By Patrick MacGillj author of "The . Great Push.") Tho men in tho barn billet of Moulin Farm, had been, out working all tho Ilight previous, and they had slept for tho better part of that day. Now that the autumn dusk had fallen theao men (who expeotedV to be sent up to the firing-line) were told that they were aiofc to Teavo; their billets, that night. In the morning they, were to go back for a rest to a village far-away, to the rear. And the men ; wore pleased, for "they had quite- enough of, it for the time being, as they themselves said when speaking.to one another.:. "Let others get a chanco now, for turn .about is fair in a job where, there's a deal more killing than medals," they Remarked.;. . ' . ~ .. -■ - ■ ■

' The battalion to which the men belonged had been supplying .working parties to the front line for close upon a;_ fortnight, and soldiers who work ' with..pick - and. shovel in ..No Man's Land. have, tho most trying labour _ of /war. . Not for them .is that fighting •exhilaration which comes to . soldiers ;"who sweerj.forward'.'.oh", the..'.'.enemy. Then men,.. purged' of fear. and r-in of 'thought, no'longer areconscious of'the weakness of the flesh. They become ,o'ne great resistless .purpose,. able and (ready to accomplish. , any feat. But j-ivar, as exemplified in the mundane occupation of. digging ■.saps.'" or laying [wires, is. a .".different matter. .-The men iare struck by the enemy's high'explosives''and cannot strike back; they, are ! killed and -cannot hare revenge. For ; the man with' 'the.shovel-" , and pick war !]a all killing and no medals.' - The men in the barn were pleased to 'be out of it for a time, for .their 'casualties had been heavy as working iparties. Now that they had not to go 'Tip to the trenches that night they'lay ifcack in tho straw, took off'their put/tees;".lit their cigarettes, and-talked [of 'war, the tale of one deed-of- daring Heading to another.

. Sheds of Yesteryear. ■-, : .' ■' "Mind a year gone'yesterday ?'' ;nsk]<ed a red-haired Irishman named. Gahey, iwho had just finished writing.a letter 'by candlelight. The candle stood on ian empty ammunition.box in tho centre iof the apartment,, aiid. the. Irishman fsat oh the straw, his. writing-pad on ,'his .knee.... "Wo. wor down, he-the I'Somme. . We. wor sittin'; in. a barn jlike this'one .and playing'cards, with 'the Jerry's trenches, hardly the .crow ■Iv a cock away." .. ' . ..'..."." ■ .' _ "An' the bloprnin' shells shakiri',thb tiles when they burst outside/'.'said :a second man of the party,'. a young, liarrow-chested , Cockney, nicknamed Spudhole.; "Blimey, 't'wasn't 'arf.a j place .to be playin , cards, and I.'ad jßoiheluck that evenin' 'for the blopniin , iioof went west." '■-•■■• ■■.-■■• •

"Blown off?" inquired a youngster, } whose life of. active service'began three I nights previously. ''"'■ . ' "

"Off," laughed the. red-haired Ifishihian. "It did go , off—-like a leaf.from a Uree in the big wind. And poor old iSergearit Sha'rroh went with it."

■-.- "A'damned good:bloko 'e was, too/' ■said Spudhole. " 'Twas the cards that leaved us." . : ...

"How was that?" a middle-aged man ;-.with a '-white moustache inquired from a dim angle .of the room where the (sheaves were huddled up in a big un-jgainly-heap. . . .. .. .-. - - ■ ! ; ".'Twas like this," said .the Irishjman. "Card playing for money is not Allowed,, as.ye know, in the army. It's gamhlin', and gamblin' 'is- not for- sol--[diers. It canibor:done on the-Stock. Exchange,' but it can't bo done- here. iWhich.is right, for if-a-man is blown from a : gamblin' school up to heaven ;by a shell, what excuse has he to.give j ; to St. Peter? We worn't gamblin', for Sphere was no money on the table." > "We just tallied up and settled our (Accounts'" after." Spudholo .- informed jthe company* '.'I made some dibs that 'day. - Seven franos in all J made." "And won it all from me, ye limb iv perdition," said the Irishman. "And you borrowed-ten francs from mo.the. ■next day. and I've never got it back since," Spudhole remarked in a mock- ■ serious voice. "Of course yp've saved ;my life, a couple o' times since then," ■Iβ remarked as an. after-thought. "Then we'll- cry quits," said the Irishman, "though yer life.is dear .enough.at.the.price. Now, hold yer tongue till I finish me story. Whero .was I Oh'yes, 'twas thecardplayin' in the barn at the Sorame." _. •"Some .barn it was,'.too,". Spudhole remarked, and ducked; in. the. straw, to avoid the meSs-tin which the Irishman threw at him. "There was.no money on the table, Gahey went on, "and I was losin'.haud over fist. Spudhole and'meself had.a

dispute. What it was about I inisrimimber, but I was nettled, and I took some money out iv me pockot and handed it, to him. 'That's yors, , I says, 'so hold ,yer tongue.' " Tho Armistice. "Were the two of you always quarrelling P" asked the rooky. "Always, except when we were kifliii' Germans," said the Irishman. ''Then we always agreed, save once, when 1 hud to give a lesson to Spud on tho best way iv using a bay'net."- : "I was a done one, a goner, that time: if old Guhoy hadn't risked his hloomin' life to save mine," Spudholo remarked, addressing the barn at large! "1 wont a bit too far forard, and " "Hold yer tongue, yo ," exclaimed the Irishman, rising to his foet and tripping 'Spudhole by the shoulder withY big callous hand. He twirled the Cockney round, buried him in tho straw, aiid sat on him. "Now I'll got on with me story, said Gahey. "1 handed Spudholo tho money, as I said, and M-ho should come into the barn at that moment but bergoant Sharron. 'Ho was a devil for discipline/but At heart a good fellow, and one that ud stand up for his platoon. Sharron looks at me, and, 'Gahoy, , he said, 'what's this that 1 see?' 'I'm payin , Spudholo back a debt that I owe him,' says I. Sharron bends down and lifts the cards and puts them in his. pockot. 'No more playin cards this, night,' ho says, and thero wasn't, not in that barn, anyway. Meself and Spudhole and the others goes out then, and what we did when we wont out doesn't matter. I'm not hero to bring evil into the minds iv young rookies by tellin' them things, lney 11 learn soon enough. Anyway, wo_ went out- and we worn't gone live minutes when along conies a shell and away goes the barn and them that was inside iv '-'"So this shows yo how a game iv cards saved,me We as well as Spudhole's life on that occasion," Gahoy concluded. •■• . ■■ - ' ;