THE STRONG POINT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 276, 10 August 1918, Page 8

THE STRONG POINT

1 PHELIM RAFERTY'S TALE

OF A QUIET HERO

(By Lieutenant .1. B. Morton.)

Four men sat at a wooden table in the divisional canteen, eating sausages and mushed potatoes. When they had finished they pushed their plates aside, finished their coffee, and lit their pipes. Then they called on I'helim Kafertv for a tale. Phelim was a gunner, and was temporarily attached to the tanks. Hβ had a great reputation as a teller of. talcs, and this is the tale he told that night.

There was a platoon holding a, strong: point in an important part of the British line. The trenches ran along a ridge which the Germans particularly coveted, for it commanded a view of the surrounding country, and was carefully and etrougly fortified. Everyone knew they were going to attack the position again, and every man there knew that if the strong point fell that part of the line wont with it. A barrage had been put down behind the trenches, which made it very difficult to get food .up. For the last twelve hours the men had contented themselves with their pipes and cigarettes, but at last their supplies of tobacco ran short also.

"I hope they'll come soon," said one man, ''or we'll have nothing to smoke."That night the platoon commander eat at the'telephone. "Yes, sir," lie said. "We all quite understand. Hold out to the death. Yes, sir. Forty-three men, sir, all in good spirits."

He got up and walked slowly down the trench. There was no quetsion about thes spirits of the men. Their only anxiety was for their dwindling supply of cigarettes and tobacco. The platoon commander emptied his cigarette case when he came to the Lewis gunners, and gave the sentries' a word or two of advice. Then he saw Hint his own revolver was in proper order; and that every man know where to find tho reserve, of ammunition and the bombs. A 'minnie' i'amled n few feet from the parapet, and brought in some of, the sandbags. He took a spado himself and started to build them lip ogain sucking at his empty pipe. He was patting the parapet into shape when the alarm was given. Theip was a bustling iu the trench, and in a second or two every man was at his post, his rifle in position. There Was a murmuring among the Lewis gunners as they strained their eyes into the darkness, of N,o Han's Land. It was a moonless night, and the sky was dm , ): with clouds, so that it was difficult at first lo make out the moving forms. But Ihe artillery had seen them already, and had shortened their barrage. That drove tho attackers moro quickly out of their trench. For a few seconds they may have hugged the delusion that: (hey were "surprising" the British; just for a few seconds, and then came their disillusionment. Lewis guns and rifles spoke, and the air throbbed wilh bullets. There were great numbers of the Germans, and tho check was only momentary. , They pressed forward over the fallen, coming nearer and nearer.

.They were some forty yards from their objective when Percy came. He cauie finite oalmly, almost superciliously, blundering out of the night, and the Germans snw his bulk looming close to them. Then Percy slopped, and joined in the fighting with his , Ticwis guns and his' two six-pounders, [they knew ' that any moment lie might move forward in that deliberate, inexorable manner of the tanks. They judged it wiser to withdraw. So they went back, with Percy neatly enfilading them, and the men in the strong point speeding them from the rear. When all was clear once more Percy turned and v, addled back into the night. The platoon commander ■ went to the telephone once more.

"Yns, Sir, Mcrrick speaking. Held them? No, Sir; bent (hem off, ihanks to (lie tank. Jfancet they'll hare another shot, Sir." Then ho went round his defences and saw (lint everything possible was done for the wounded men. He had kept a small reserve of cigarettes for this emergency. These he distributed. They were to be relieved quite soon, unless there was another attack.-

He began to feel very weak. He wished there was somo tobacco in his p'ipe. He wondered if anyone had noticed blood on his clothes. His thigh hurt devilishly. Mis head began to whirl, and intense physical sickness came over him. He'd better lean up against something. He went slowly to a corner of the trench, and a great darkness was in front of his eyes and a great singing in his ears, like the sound of the sen in storm. He must pull himself together; somebody vns epoaking. He leant one hand against the parapet. "Yes, sergeant?" ■ ■ ' "They're coming, Sir." "Oh, right." He lmido one great effort to walk. "Sentries all right? I—l—' "It's the relief—yes. I meant, Sir. Word has just come. We're to get ready ""Oh—relief-yes." He felt Iris mind slipping away. That infernal pain was burning him. The sergeants voice, was coming from a great distance. Gradually he was sinking inlo deep places. The sergeant caughi him and uttered an exclamation of surprise. Uhe subaltern's tunic was wet with blood round th-3 thigh. Presently flic relief came, and he was taken away on a stretcher. In the mess two days later, in a village behind ilio line, the M.O. was talking to the colonel. , ,', "Yes Sir," ho suid. "There's no doubt about 'it. Young Merrick was hit some time before that attack, but he 311 st kept it quiet. W he knew wka. 1 was coming. But it's not serious, fortunately. He 11 need a bit of it rest, thats all.