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Dec. 19,1917. The Hell Gate of Soissons My name is Darino, the poet. You have heard? Yes, Comedie Francalse. Perchance it has happened, mon ami, you know of my unworthy lays. Ah, then, you must guess how my fin gers are itching to talk to a pen; For I was at Soissons, and saw it, the death of the twelve Englishmen. My leg, malhoureusement, I left it, be hind on the banks of the Aisne. Regret? I would pay with the other to witness their valor again. A trifle, indeed, I assure you, to give for the honor to tell How that handful of British, undaunted went into the Gateway of Hell. Let me draw -you a plan of the battle. Here we French and your Eng lishmen stood, Over there a detachment 'of German sharpshooters lay hid in a wood A mitrailleuse battery planted on top of this well-chosen ridge Held the road for the. Prussians and covered the direct approach to the bridge. It was madness to dare the dense mur der that spewed from those ghast ly* machines. (Only those who have danced to its music can know what the mit railleuse means). But the bridge on the Aisne was a menace; our safety demanded its fall: “Engineers—volunteers!” In a body, the Royals stood out at the call. Death at best was the fate of that mission—to their glory not one was dismayed. And they died with their fuses unlight ed. Another detachment! Again A sortie is made —again vainly. The bridge still commanded the Aisne. We were fighting two foes —Time and Prussia—the moments were worth more than troops. We must blow up the bridge. A lone sc»dier darts out from the Royals and swoops For the fuse! Fate seems with us- We cheer him; he answers —our hopes are re-born! A ball rips his visor—-his khaki shows red where anotner nas torn. Will he live- -will he last—will he make it? Helas! And so near to the goal! A second, he dies! Then a third one! A Fourth! Still the Germans take toll! A fifth, magnifique! It is magic! How does he escape them? He may— Yes, he does! See, the match flares! A rifle rings ou from the wood and says, “Nay!” Six, seven, eight, nine take their places six, seven, eight, nine brave their hail; Six, seven, eight, nine—how we cou F them! But the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth fail! A tenth! Sa ere nom! But these English are soldiers—they know how to try. (He fumbles the place where his jaw was —they show, too, how heroes can die.) Ten we count—ten who ventured un quailing—ten there were—and the ten are no more! Yet another salutes and superbly es says where the ten failed before. God of Battles look down and protect him! Lord, his heart is as Thine —Let him live! But the mitrailleuse sputters and stut ters and riddles him into a Then I thought of my sins, and sat. waiting the charge that we could not withstand. And I thought of my beautiful Paris, and gave a last look at the land, At France, ma belle France, in her glory of blue sky and green field and wood. Death with honor, but never surrender. And to die with such men —it was good. They are forming—the bugles are blar ing—they will cross in a mo ment and then . . . When out of the lin£ of the Royals (your island, mon ami, breeds men) Burst a private, a tawny haired giant— DR. LANIER. DR. MABRY. DR. DUNCAN. UNION DENTAL PARLORS $« Largest and Best Equipped Offices South. Best Work at Lowest Prices i Gold Crownss3, $4, $5.00 L I All work Guaranteed Fillings .50c, 7uc, sl-00 10 Years. Painless Extrachonssoc 1052 Broad Street. Over Goldberg’s AUGUSTA, GEORGIA. Phone 1206. TRENCH AND CAMP it was hopeless, but, ceil! how he ran! Bon Dieu, please remember the pat tern, and make many more on his plan! No cheer from our ranks, and the Germans, they halted in wonder ment too; See, he reaches the bridge; ah! he lights it! Jam dreaming, it can not be true. Screams of rage! Fusillade! They have killed him! Too late though, the good work is done. By the valor of twelve English martyrs, the Hell Gate of Soissons is won! Are You Expecting Money From Home? Last Sunday, the Augusta office of the Western Union Telegraph Com pany received 200 telegrams for sol diers at Camp Hancock, all bringing money to the recipients. More than 175 of them were delivered at once to the proper parties, but several were undelivered, for the reason that it was imposisble to locate the men to whom they were addressed. If any soldiers at Camff Hancock are expecting money from home, you are invited to “'call at the main office of the company, 739 Broad Street, and ask for same. The manager of the com pany, Mr. Daniels is anxious that ev ery soldier shall receive his money promptly and makes this request. Copy for next week’s Trench and Camp must be in by Sat urday afternoon. Get busy! Smith Brothers Co. Wholesale Grocers Most Complete Line of Camp Supplies in the City. WE WANT YOUR BUSINESS. Phones: 3068 and 566. 922 Walker Street, /nfantry Is the Backbone of Army A special writer has the followinig to say concerning the "dough boys” of the army:® The backbone of the army is the infan try. In fact there wouldn’t be any arm., it there wasn’t any infantry. The man who has enlisted in an infantry unit has taken upon himself the drudgery and weight of America’s fighting. In the trenches the men who “carry on” are the infantrymen. These sturdy fighters are. the harder,, wonting men in the army. They are the men who do the actual fighting and enter into closest com bat with the enemy. Trench fighting has robbed war of much of its romance and adventure, but the in fantrymen nevertheless are as brave and courageous as ever. There is no march ing to battle with flying flags and play ing bands as in the days gone by. The infantryman of tday enfbrs the first line trenches through a communicating trench, perhaps walking miles and miles CAMP HANCOCK SOLDIERS, HERE’S A MESSAGE OF INTEREST! (n these days and times ycu will all want to eccncmize. Here’s Your Opportunity—Grasp It! Do not buy new Razor Blades. Have them sharpened here on our new ELECTRIC RAZOR SHARPENER. IT IS FINE Single Edge Blades 13c Dozen Double Edge Blades 35c Dozen Bring down all you have next time you are in town. We will put the right edge on them. NEW HOME ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING COMPANY A. KROLL, Manager. 857% Broad Street. Phone 1000. Have You Written MOTHER SOLDIER BOY —or Lave you failed to send your weekly L “chat” for lack of 2L_ STATIONERY? Attention Our Hnc Army Men Wriling Paper> WE SPECIALIZE Novelties,Gifts, Kodaks, on Films, Flash Lights, —Army Printed Post Cards and Athletic Forms Goods (A. G. Spalding) Ruling Famous Line —Binding U Complete. —Printing. _ WE _ TO WITT’S. DO DEVELOPING J i 7 a a a o Send Us 'The Handsomest and YOUR FILMS Largest Stationery Stere in the city. WHEN SHALL WE EXPECT A CALL FROM YOU, SOLDIER BOY ? You’re Welcome. JOWITT’S 864 Broad Street. Augusta, Ga. through a muddy mire with bullets and shrapnel tearing through the air over hln head. In the trench he make his home. Small caves are built in the trench sides and for a period of one or two weeks the infantryman makes his home in these dugouts. It is always the infantryman who goes “over the top.” It is the infantryman who faces the direct fire of the enemy guns and it is the infantryman who must charge into the.enemy trenches. Back of the infantryman there is a huge establishment, but it is the man with the blue cord on his hat in the from line trench who faces the greatest ele ment of danger. Modern warfare is specialized. Hence the old infantry that fought only with rifle and bayonet is made up of special ists. Certain companies are specialized in machine gun operation. Others are hand grenade throwers, and still others are expert bayonet men. There are, the so-called “trench cleaners.” They fol low the charging men into .the trenches and deal out death with their bayonets and in some cases with small side sabres which they carry. There is more work and less glory for the infantryman than any other Amer ican soldier. Yet the majority of the sol diers are in tlrs branch of the army. Page 11 J yj I Cm I • u ill p It w ■Z/v fe V \ I u I’ 11 !