THICKER THAN WATER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 281, 1 June 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

THICKER THAN WATER.

By ERIC J)E BANIZIE In '"The Red Triangle."

In rat-infested barns, in clammy dugouts, or in cosy huts, main- are tho gnm confidences handed round from man to man tales of disaster, suspicious of treachery, rumours of tilings both vilo and splendid. It is seldom that one can p ; ooe out a connected, conclusive narrative, but sometimes it may be that a chance remark let fall may turn what was but a jumble of wild surmise before into a logical episode. Thus, from many sources, came the following yarn of one whose blood, though "naturalised," retook, in a flash, its ancient nationality.

August Schmidt was born in Germany, but he came to England while still a yrung man to study the language, it was during his stay thero that he fell in love with, and married, an English girl: and although after his marriage be often visited the home, of Ins fathers, his visits grew gradually les frequent, and finally cowed altogether as the years rolled on. In the end, his interests in England having so many and so groat, he became naturalised, and with the two sons that were born to them, his wife and he lived very happily. August Smith, as he called himself, really loved the country of his adoption. From England he had received all Ins bright moments of life, and when war broke out, though his feelings were mingled and there was pain nt Ins heart, he was yet proud when his two sons hastened to offer their all to England. They obtained commissions in the New Army, and in due course were ordered to France.

Smith and his- wife went through all tho usual agony of waiting. Came the news one day of the gallant death of their eldest son in action. Some grey crept into Smith's black hair. Soon, too, the war caused his business to dwindle to a shadow of what it once had been, and at last, sick of inactivity, he offered his services to the Wa_r Office. He was a fluent speaker of French as well as German,and the Government accepted the offer of his services. He was given the position of an interpreter in tho Intelligence Corps, and posted to a brigade serving in France. Ono day a German prisoner was brought to brigade headquarters. He was in a piteous plight. It transpired ho was the victim of some Prussian N.C.0., whose bullying hail reduced him to such a state that ho had preferred risking the possibility of a British bullet being pumped into his carcase to enduring further torture at the hands of his own countryman. So, when evening fell, he had crept over No Man's Land and delivered himself into the hands of tho British. The man was a bundle of shrieking nerves—possessed by an unholy fear.

•'Poor beggar!" said the brigadier, looking a.t the cringing prisoner over his horn-rimmed glasses, "lie certainly looks as if lie's been through it. Ask nun —yes, pump him to find out if brother Boclie knows anything of the Bond Street mine. It's almost completed now, you know." ("The Bond Street nunc" was the general designation of "'the latest tiling in mines—a huge one which had taken us three months to construct.) "I don't think," said Smith, slowly, " that ho'll be clever enough to conceal the fact if he does. We'll see." He turned to the prisoner again and questioned him brusquely. For a moment the soldier paused, then he broke into an excited torrent of words. As ho heard them. Smith pricked up his ears. •'Swear to my safety -swear T'll not lie hurt again.' I'll tell everything I know. I promise I'll hold nothing back," «Md the prisoner. " You will not be harmed by us if you speak truly and conceal nothing," replied Smith. Then tho man. in frightened mumblings, told Smith of some gigantic mine which his company had been building for some months past. "The position of the miner'" queried Smith.

"Tho position? Oh, it starts from the little wood in front of our first trenches. I warn you—the effects will bo horrible—l can' sec them now ! It is so huge. Gott in Hmimel! . . •"' •' When will it be exploded? Do you know ? ; "Exploded? I have heard it will ba fired to-morrow morning at six." At six! Starts from the little wood in front of their hrst line! Why, then! tho mines—theirs and ours—were parallel, with onlv a few yards' distance between them*! Wo had hut to explode ours first and theirs would be blown to chaos, together with hundred- of yards of trenchwork. He had only to report what tho German soldier told him. Scared by tho second's silence, the prisoner threw himself on his face in front of tho brigadier's desk, babbling incoherently. "Oh! gegen S'e 7.11 m Tenfel!" said the brigadier testily. Startled, Smith looked up. How much German did his superior know? "Amazed at my accent?'' smiled tho other. "That's tho only phrase—a cheap one, too—l've remembered of the cursed language, despite an expensive schooling! • • • Oct anything out of him? He seems scared at something." Smith had only to repeat what the prisoner had said—and heaven knows how many of tho enemy were blown to fragments. Hut he didn't. Why, I know not. His

action was instant, and, in a sense, mot'veless. l) : d he see. in some inward vision the glint of an old-re-niombored German sun on the hills at home? Did the scent of a pine forest playground blow to him now across the years, drugging bis honour' It may be that some chance phra~e in bis mothertciiizue struck to a, blaze the latent lire that the veneer of a new patriotism bad temporarily dimmed. It is sure, however, that the impulse of a moment overruled the steadfastness of years. He turned to bis duel' and slowly said : - ■'The prisoner has no information to

miliar:. He's ignorant—know-' nothing 111 in ike out the usual report." Ilir voice wa * sti inly a- he spoke. That niuht he must have gone

through hell a-, he lay striving to lull by nonchalan-e the agonising wanderings

! f his n dive mind. To anticipate in evei v nerve of him the roar of the exploded mine: to picture the mangled bodies a- tliev fell ; and to know that ho was directly responsible for the ane-uish. lh<> devastation, and the 1111Ik r'n dead tin -•■ iitrnnth bodies meant ! That was hell indeed. ,\i „j N ri'i lock came an antv rumble v.tirh slicok the earih It wakened H „ brigad er. who huniedlv dr.--e-|. • ,\ | r ,f the dlck.-lis was that. Km th?" he asked. "Sounds a- if they've found a diiinn of ours. Surely •Uond Street' ha n't gone elf by aoi id"i.t." Ills HonderiiiL's wei-e speedily put tto ~.,, ~.!. Th • tdeplion- hell was ring- " When the brigadier turned [mm the instrument hi- face was white with cnef and -iia»rin. Smith's seemed a" thoiodi cut fn in marble- einotinide s ~„,!. i, N ,d Once, though, he wel his lips W ill) his toll' lie. His sup,-rior -j'oke. '■They got there

first," he-aid. "Month-of labour none for naught they've blown en 'Moml Street' with a counter mine and a whole plator.n of the Urd lilankshin - blown to atoms more than sixty men Mid a couple of subs. Heaven-'! if's •• Did voir say the Mid, -U ?" intcrrunted Smith.

"Y.-s." » H-it I f:iim._'lil 1 cli.lut kn..'.v tl:i\v ilidn'l on ui.v tlifit '•<'' tor 0 " "They movo'l hi his! iii'.'li!. Rill why ~', ' ,",!' ccnr-f. Tlint'-i your Mill'? r ..irinn'iit., i-n'i it. Smith?" Swft'y lit- turnotl lo tin* ! oloi>lion<* nJ «X.'„,i,K i.f rim iiili pi\< UlV.l'" ho ■vJk.,l. II" Insil down tln« n-.-i'iviT. "One of tln'lll was voiir miii l.icut<niuit Wilfrfi] Sniuli." ■■ m v (UhW" -mil I'm' iiitcn.-.'ior, dully."

I),, could lint „• the other", oil! st rote'iM-d hand, be coll'd in 1 hear lh. words thai were s.id 10 bun " [ tender you." sad the brigadier kind'y, " my sincere sympathy,"