Were ere, theresno gettin away from that,
corporal.
A knew what itd be, but it gotthe better o me, an
then, like a bloody fool, a went anjoined up too. We want to put some o them bloody
politiciansin the front line, an see em shelled to shit.
Theres nought sure for usns, anyway, said Weeper,
relapsing.
No, an never as been, said Madeley,
pessimistically. You dont want to talk about it, anyway, said Corporal
Hamley,quietly.
You ought to take a pull on yourself, said Bourne,
as though hewere talking of the weather. They ate, more or less in silence, and then
smoked, contentedlyenough.
There, you bugger, e says; now you go ome an talkto
yourself. They held their breath as itexploded, further away than the
first.
Hes always been an awfully good man up the line,
atleast they all say so in D Company.
There were two entrances, andabout thirty steps to
the bottom. They marched by the divisional artillery H.
There were two entrances, andabout thirty steps to
the bottom. You ought to take a pull on yourself, said Bourne, as though hewere
talking of the weather.
Once we go over the top its the colonels and the
companycommanders job.
They may have to order us to do something,knowing
damned well that theyre spending us.
Weeper, who was standing by Shem andMartlow, leaned
on the muzzle of his rifle.
There was a huge eruption of mud, earth and stonesa
few yards behind the trench. Presently Corporal Hamley motioned him forward into the
nextfire-bay. They felt there was something incompleteabout it. But its all true
what e says about folks at ome, most on em.
The trouble with you isthat you get things, get
promotion for instance, too easily. Come along to my tent for a while,and have a
yarn. The bloodybrass at what wrote that letter as never been in any big showisself,
that a dare swear. That bugger on the black orse spoketo the colonel just as tho e
took im for a lance-jack. The navy asgot all it can bloody well do, as things are.
Were ere, theresno gettin away from that, corporal.
Then onthe right appeared the ruins of a shattered
farm, an empty corpseof a building.
Weredoin our duty, an they aint, an theyre coinin
money whilewe get ten bloody frong a week.
Youre learnin a lot o bad words from usns, said
Martlow,grinning. Part of it was screened offwith blankets for the officers, and the
rest was allotted to themen.