NEW BLOOD

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 245, 4 July 1918, Page 6

NEW BLOOD

A SKETCH FROM THE WAR ZONE

(By Patrick lliicGill.)

"Another draft's come along," eaid Spudholo Bubb, the Cockney soldier, as h<! stretched himself out on tho straw in the barn, and looked round at the/ men who wero billeted there. "I was down the street in the cafe, and T. saw them. All young fellow they are. Abouft nineteen years or so." KiHeman Gahey, a red-haired Irishman, and Spudholo's mate, eat up on a. heap of straw, and brushed tho dusk from his trousers with a mighty hand. "Green to tho grind, all iv, them, I suppose?" he inquired. "Hookies o' tho firs I. water,'" fiakl Spudhole Bubb.

"Goin' to finish tho' war in a wesk or two?" asked Gahey wit!) fine irony, as he fumbled in his jiocket for his pipe..

"Look like it, they do," said Spudhoi'e. "Perky lot they are, and 'old themselves as straight as a guards' regiment om parade."

"These rookies think no end of themselves." said an elderly man who sat in a dark corner of the barn. "They're unto anything when they come hero. They have ulonty of go in them, anyway."

"Which is the wav iv tho .world." saii thi) oracular Biflcman Galley. "Boyii when they get tho first taste iv war enn't; be controlled. They're ready for anything. It's juet thn same in love. There'* more fire in tho first throe months than in all the rest iv life. It's iv love that I'm talkin' now. And I know all about it, for I'm a married man and I've the luck to have one iv the nicest women jn the world iv mo own barony.. And when I saw her first she wne tho sweetesf! little creature ye would see im a whole dar's march. Hair that was like a dream, and it «>■ long, and cheeks like strawberries buried in cream. I fell in love with her at once, and I would have* done anything for her sake, kill a man or kill meself, for that wa6 the way the pasBion iv love took hold iv ine. I couldn't: slijep and I couldn't work, for neither one* or the other iv them tilings could pnt thethoughts iv the girl out iv me mind.. 'Twas pure madness for sis months until , . J.;married her: and then I cooled a bit, for that is the way iv the world. , Butt I love her just as much this day as" tho first day, that I saw her, only now the flume iv me affection burnj steadier, just like a candle in the shelter iv a dug-out. The flanio iv the candle is sure iv itself,, and it knows that it will burn right: through till the candle dies, and just iu. the same way me love will last for ever."

"Amen," said Spudhole, sarcastically, slipping across the etraw towards tho door, for he was a little afraid oi Gahey's mighty hand But (he Irish man was not annoyed at tho Cockney's,' remark. Instead of reprimanding Spud~ hole, he lit his pipe and puffed a few? curls of 6moke into the air.

"Talkin , about that, me own love affair, is only a prelude to what I am goin" to say," ho remarked. "It's about them, rookies- that are comin' out, day afterday, and week after week, to do their bit, in the trenches. They'ro young cubs some iv them, I'll admit, but glory bo I it's them that has the full heart for the ruotions iv war. When I see them out here for the first time,, and all iv them dyin' to get up and get at the Jerrys, it puts heart into meself. They'll maybe cool down a bit when they've had as muoh iv it as I've had, but for the first month or eo they're ready to do anyj thing, to stick it, to endure, to kill, or to die. I was just the same when T. came out here first, and I was also tho same when I waa in love for the first; time. Some day these boys will cool a. bit and lose a little iv their fire, but for all that they'll not be a ha'porth tht> worse as fighters, no matter how much they get to look on the ructions as au every day occurrence. "I mind one little bit iv a fellow that came out hero about nine months ago." continued Gahey, gazing reminiscently at tho smoke curling from the bowel oC his clay. "He was a little- divil, full i\mischief and fuu, one iv them kind ir fellows that ye 'cannot help liking nui matter how muoh cheek ho gives ye. It; was in the village iv Brobis that wo were the time hayin' a rest, just the same aa we're- haviu' a rest now,' when, the draft came. Havin' nothin' better to do at the time I went out to see the. colour iv the men that were sent to help, us to win the war. Orceen they woiv every man iv them, all new to tho grind, and a bit awe-struck, as they took stock, iv tho village. It's in a bad way that same place now, and then it was just asbad. Tho houses were thrown across, the streets, and the church that was once a big., one, where honest-and kindly people worshipped their God, was thrown down in the heaps iv rubble. Glory be! but Ihe Jerrys frill have to make a big case in their own defencewhen the day iv rcckoiiiii' comes along. "Well, it was then that I saw this little divil iv a rooky that I'ni speakin' about. The draft was told to gci to billets with the sections to which they ■ were transferred, and the officer that was in charge iv the crush turns to me. and says, 'Take this man with yo toyer billet, Gahey,' and ho points at the. young bucko.

"I took ,liim in charge, and takes him under mo wing. As we were goin' along tho street he .spoke to me. " There's a war \n here, I believe,' says he. " "Twas a remark to take- me breath uway, and I looked at him without givin' an answer. '; "'lt looks like it,-anyway,' nays he, pointing at a house that was only two. walls.

"To'vo any amount iv cheek, mo bucko,' says 1 to him. When ye're Loro> for a bit yell Have far less to eay. Ye'll eoon know that there's a war on, and be the sanic- tokon ye'll not have much lovo for the same when yo get to know all about it' , " 'I have no doubt at ail iv that,' he says. 'But as fur as that goes, ikuovr more about it than most.' " 'In what way?' 1 puts to him. "'lt has cost mo my father and.two brothers,' says he. ' "'Killed?' 1 asks. " 'The three iv them,' he answers, and. such a look cajne into his eyes that I knew that here wae a cub iv nineteen out for blood. "As indeed he was. God! to 6ee him iu a charge or a raid would make tl'.o heart of any man glad that knew what fightiu' meant. Nothing could stop him when he got goin'. He cared as littlu for shell-firo and machine-gun bullets, as (he wand-bags ,qn the parapet cares for them. Although ho w'as a small bit ir n laddie, a lissom rung; iv a youngster, ho had the heart of :i lion. Nothin' was too great for him, and he was ready for any job. Iv course, ho got wounded in no time—for he was always siickin' his head into danger, and then ho went away and left us. I didn't bear anything about him after iluit till the,other day, when one iv the wallahs in 10 platoon came b:'.ck fium lenve, nnJ told me that lie see this boy in London in the dress iv an officer" "Thoy'ro jolly good men, somo o , these who are couiiii out now," said Spudhole. "Some iv them, ye fay, ye limb!" shouted Gahey. ";\'ot; t-omo iv them, but all iv them. The whole- crush iv them are good, souml fellows, full iv new blood, and fightin' blood at that, every man iv them/' ,