Monterey High School - El Susurro Yearbook (Monterey, CA)

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EL SUSURRO lts Final Service By EARL Fimzs P-r-r-r, snap! Carr took his 'finger off the now useless trigger and looked back over his shoulder to see what had happened to Jim, whom he had sent crawling back to the study hall for more shells for the machine gun he was tending. He saw scattered, near the broken arch, the shining shells that were now so valuable, and further back, in front of the tall Hagpole that still stood. holding up the shot-riddled flag of his country, the body of his companion lying where he had fallen. Carr turned back and lifted himself to look over the cement curbing that formed the top of the breastwork he was lying behind. Ile hastily rolled over on his back again as a sharp blow, accompanied by a metallic cliclc. alnzost ended his days on this earth. He lay there a minute wondering what he could do. He was arousefl to action again by the bursting of a shell that drowned out the incessant rattle of smallgun fire near him in the school corridor. ' .-X khaki-clad figure jumped into the trench beside him. Here, he gasped, dropping a heavy box beside Carr: T saw you needed them. And before Carr could catch him he gently doubled up and fell over. VVith a shudder, Carr tore off the cover of the box and pulled out a round box ofvshells. Slipping them into the gun with a grin of joy, he once more pulled the trigger of Death's own weapon. Down went the gray who was climbing the bank toward him. The cloud of gas was filled with more men. As fast as he shot them down there were more to take their places. Several little puffs of white smoke suddenly plumed out above him and the entire gray line in front of him melted away. No, there were a few still coming on. The trigger snapped on an empty shell, and he shoved a new box into the empty one's place. A minute later the few remaining men in the gas haze were disposed of. lint even through the deafening roar of exploding shells and shrieking bullets he was conscious of a missing note. He listehed to the roar about him. Yes, there was something niissingg something that involved him. A strengthening in the roar? No, it was the weakening of-ah! I have it. he said between shut teeth: the guns on both sides of me are out of it. He looked around to see if anybody was left. A blinding Hash met his eyes and he sank into blackness. lt was dark when he opened his eyes again. Lifting his hand to his aching head. he found that his hair was wet and sticky. Then he remembered the charging line and the blinding Hash of a shell bursting close to him. The silence seemed to crush him down, a silence that was terrifying. for 26

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EL SUSURRO I 3msl 11nam Class Nlllmcn-in I.I'I I'l.l-Il-'llfI.Ib . l'r'r.vi1lf11f -lx xr I-is lmws . . l'in'-l'rvsidv11r 4Xl'1fmix' Xl I xulis , .S'4'4'1'f'f41r'-v-'l'H'u.x'lrn'1' X ix thc l:u'g1-N1 l 1'L-411111111 l'I1lNSlIlIll has n-vcr l'lllL'l'C4l thc high svlwn I1 IIIKIIIIDCIN hzxvv l1llil'I1 :ul zlclivc p:11'1 in athletics. In f1lCl. wc fccl quite curtain th nt ilu ulllcr vluwcx Imvc nut lmcvn :llalc to fnrgct that wc :arc In-rc. 125

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EL SUSURRO during the last two weeks he hadbeen in the center of the terrific battle and had grown used to the roar of the strife. They have been repulsed, he said to himself. But have they ? he asked. lily the faint moonlight he saw that he was among the broken branches of the old oak tree that had stood by the drawing-room window. Parting the branches in order to crawl. out. he saw below him a line of Germans carrying small. heavy boxes and baskets into the ruined courtyard of the school. Their ammunition dump, he said to himself. . lle noted that they were silent. Their feet made no noise as they stumbled over the shambles of the yard. liven the shell that burst close to them did not make a noise. The realization came to him. He was deaf! The shell that had stunned him had destroyed his ear drums. . L'ndaunted by the knowledge that he could not hear, he began to think of something that he could do to hold back the Germans. He reached back to touch the wall. but his hand encountered nothing but air. Turning. he saw that he was in front of a hole made by a shell. and that he could enter the basement through it. ' ,. Crawling in through the hole was hard work, but he at last stood up on the Floor with a sigh of relief. It was even darker in there than outside and he had to grope his way over the broken cement that had fallen in. When his eyes became used to the darkness, he saw that he was in the old cafe of the school. Opening a door at one end of the room, he stepped into the engine room. b A . Walking on tiptoe. he opened another door softly and saw before him row on row of boxes of shells and dynamite, piles of shells. bags of powder. all kinds of explosives and powder. Ry portable lights that were strung up here and there he saw the Germans busy bringing more and more boxes and bales of shells. Gently closing the door, he crowded in back of the furnaces and fell asleep. lle knew that he could not do his work well if he did not have any sleep. And he knew that the shells would be there when he awoke. lt was late in the afternoon when he opened his eyes. Instant remembrance of all that had happened came to him. The cut on his head had now stopped bleeding and the dizziness had gone. ' lle stealthily opened the door again and saw that the room was empty of all Germans. lfeelmg in his pockets. he pulled out a penknife and a box of matches. ' Ile looked more closely at the boxes around him and saw that they were all full of dynamite except one that held signal rockets and a few bombs. He could not open the boxes of dynamite with his hands. so he started to cut through the side of one with his knife. -llalf an hour later he'bent back the board that he had cut through and 27 '