WITH HIGH HEART.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11254, 7 December 1914, Page 4

WITH HIGH HEART.

Tho long line of red earth twisted' away until it was lost in tho fringe of a small copse on. the left. and had dipped behind a. hillock on the righb Flat open country stretched ahead.. grass laud* and fields of stubble, lifeless and deserted.

There was no enemy to he .seen and not even a puff of smoke to suggest ids whereabouts. But the air was lull of tho booming ol heavy gnus ami the rising eerie shriek of the shrapnel. Behind tho line of red earth lay the British, each man with Ids rifle ciidd'iccl lovingly to his slioulder. a useless weapon that yet' conveyed a mmiso of comfort. The shells were bursting with hideous accuracy—sharp Hashes of white light, a loud report and then a murderous rain of shrapnel. "Crikey!" said a little man in filthy rain-sodden khaki, as a handful of earth roso up and hit him on tho shoulder; "crikey! that was a narsty shavo for your uncle!" The big man be.-ide him grunted and shifted half an inch of dead cigarette from one corner of_ his mouth to the other- " You can 'old my 'and," said he with a grin. Four or live places iw the trench n man stumbled to las knee, coughed with d rush of blood and toppicd ever ;!•• :id. • "Dalit) and al)i," s;u-l <!i-' man

gruffly. " Gawd! If we could get at 'em!" The wail of a distant shell rose to a shriek arid the explosion was instantivneous. The little man suddenly went limp and his rifle rolled down the bank of the trench. His friend looked at hiin with unspeakable anguish. _ " Got it —in the perishing neck this time, Bill," gasped the little man. Bill leaned over and propped his pal's head on his shoulder. A large dark stain was saturating the wounded man's tunic and he lay very still. ' "Bill," very faintly; then, with surprise, "Blimey I E's blubbing! Poor old Bill I" The big man was shaking with strangled' sobs. For some moments he held liis friend close, and it was the dying man who spoke first. "Are we dahn-'earted?" he said. Tile whisper went along the line and swelled into a roar. The big man choked back his sobs. "No, old pal, no!" ho answered, and "No-o-o-o!" roared the line in unison.