Plainfield High School - Milestone Yearbook (Plainfield, NJ)

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IO ih Eh Oy RAWOL Laddie, though a mongrel, was not a coward. He had been known to make dogs twice his size go whimpering away from him with their tails between their legs, and though he did not like the sound of the guns very well, he still plodded on beside his master. They soon reached a place where, to get to the first line trenches in comparative safety, they would have to go through the branch trenches which led to it. Officers were standing on each side of the entrance, and Larry knew if they saw his dog they would not let him pass. So he picked him up, and stuffing him in his large overcoat, slung it under his arm. He admonished the dog to “shut up,’ and so got past the officers safely. As soon as they were out of sight of them he let Lad down. After following the twistings and turnings of the trenches, they finally reached the first line trench, where the men they were relieving crowded by them on the way out. How relieved the poor fellows did look, after being under such a strain. I will not describe the long, tedious hours that passed, how the men of both sides kept up a continual rain of machine gun and rifle bullets, with the artillery backing up. About five o’clock word was passed along that thev would soon advance on the enemy. One hundred and seventy-five yards of practically bare ground to go over before the enemy’s trenches were to be reached! Covered with craters made by large shells, it would be difficult to advance. That certainly was facing death; but not a man murmured. Larry had just time enough to take a piece of heavy twine out of his pocket and tie one end around Lad’s neck and the other around,a stone before the order to advance was given. With a yell the men climbed out, firing as they ran. Man after man dropped, riddled by the deadly machine-gun bullets, but still they kept on. Finally the commanding officer saw that if they kept on, his now rapidly diminishing force would be totally annihilated,so he ordered the retreat. The disheartened regiment, or what was left of it, soon were under cover of their own trench. In the excitement nobody noticed a small dog, with a chewed piece of cord hanging to his neck, go the rounds of the men, smelling at their leggings or looking wistfully up into their faces. As soon as it grew dusk the Red Cross men, bearing stretchers, carried all the wounded men in from the field between the trenches. They thought they had gotten all the wounded, but they had forgotten to look into a small bunch ofshrubbery, although they had passed near it quite often. But there was one who hadn’t forgotten. He had followed the stretcher bearers, go- ing from man to man, sniffing at each, and passing on. Finally, Laddie, for that was who it was, reached the shrubbery, and upon struggling

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THE ORACLE 9 Just A Dog (As told by Harry Stevens, Winner of the First Marsh Prize.) How Laddie got there, Larry, the little Cockney, never knew, but when -the regiment got off the troop train to start off on its long march to the front, a thin, gaunt little mongrel came sidling up to Larry, its small piece of tail wagging for all it was worth. “Hi say,” said Larry, to one of his companions, “this ’ere bloomin’ little blighter was tied fast to ’is kennel when hi left, now look at ’im hup ’ere. “You young rat,” to the dog, “’Ow did you get ’ere anyhow?” The dog just wagged its tail and jumped at Larry’s face. After Larry had made the dog understand that he did not want his face washed, he opened his tin of bully-beef and gave some to the half-starved dog. Then the order to get ready was passed along, and soon the long column of soldiers was marching down the dusty road, a cloud of dust hanging over them. After hours of tedious marching with Lad, as Larry called him, plod- ding along beside him, they could, now and then, hear the far-off rumble of the big guns as they sent their missiles of death and destruction into the opposing line. Then they began to meet remnants of regiments marching back from the front, some with faces haggard and worn, and others with bandages wrapped around them, as Larry said, to keep them together. From these they got the news of the battle in which they were soon to take part. Both sides had incurred heavy losses, but neither had the advantage. At dusk they finally reached a place where, at command, the line was halted and the men were passed out their small amount of rations, which larry divided with his dog. After conversing by their fires awhile, the tired men unrolled their blankets, and one after another dropped off to sleep with the rumble of guns in their ears. Larry was no exception to this rule, for with Lad tucked in beside him in his roomy blanket, he soon showed that a little Cockney can snore just as loud as anyone. At the first streak of dawn the bugles awoke the men, and, after a light breakfast, they were soon in marching order. As they tramped along the sound of the guns crept nearer and nearer until the sharp rattle of machine guns could be heard. Then they heard the scream of a spent shell as it passed over their heads, and they knew they were getting near their destination. .

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Uni Ol kes C Meh SD hip through, found his master lying pale and still. The dog knew something must be the matter, so sitting down near Larry’s head he sarted to lick his face. This awakened Larry from unconsciousness, and looking up at Lad, he just managed to pat his head. Then an idea came to him. Ages ago, it seemed to him now, he had taught Lad to fetch and carry, so, taking up his hat, which lay on the ground near by, he held it up near the dog and just barely whispering the word “carry,” he lapsed back into unconscious- ness. The dog, taking the hat between his teeth, turned and ran. Just then a rocket rose in a graceful are from the German trench, shedding a bright blue light over the field. Four shots rang out and Laddie faltered in his steady lope, but still kept on. Limping along he finally reached the trench. Then he made such a disturbance, by leaping and barking at the men, that they finally caught hold of him, and took the hat out of his mouth. “Why, it’s Larry’s, that little Cockney,” exclaimed one of the men. At this Lad, though quite weak, caught hold of the man’s trousers and tugged at them. He finally made the soldier understand that he wanted him to follow, so, getting two other men, he pursued the limping dog out into No-man’s-land. The dog’s footsteps dragged slower and slower, but he kept bravely on until he finally reached the shrubbery. There the men found Larry, both legs riddled with bullets and tenderly picking up the unconscious man, they carried him back to the trench. From there he and Laddie were carried to a field hospital. By this time the men had heard of Laddie’s bravery, and though he was wounded in the leg it did not hinder him from eating the choice tid- bits offered him. After getting back some of his strength, Larry was sent back home on furlough, taking his dog with him. Larry was very proud of his dog, but he was not the only proud one, for Laddie, now the mascot of the regi- ment, strutted proudly around the town, wearing a bright new collar, witha silver medallion pending from it. On it is just these two words, “For Valor.” This story is made up by myself and is absolutely my own ideas. Some time ago I read a very short account of what the Red Cross dogs have done in the war. I myself have trained a dog to carry.