DAVE HAMMER GETS HIS COMMISSION
BY the middle of January, 1916, Peter was in London again, now minus one
leg but otherwise in the pink of condition. Davenport, with his crutch
and stick and shadowing valet, visited him daily in hospital. He and
Peter wrote letters to Beaver Dam--and Peter wrote a dozen to Stanley.
Capt. Starkley-Davenport had power. Warbroken and propped between his
crutch and stick, still he was powerful. A spirit big enough to animate
three strong men glowed in his weak body, and he went after the medical
officers, nursing sisters and V. A. D.'s of that hospital like a
lieutenant general looking for trouble. He saw that Peter received every
attention, and then that every other man in the hospital received the
same--and yet he was as polite as your maiden aunt. Several medical
officers, including a colonel, jumped on him--figuratively
speaking--only to jump back again as if they had landed on spikes.
As soon as he regarded Peter as fit to be moved he took him to his own
house. There the queer servants waited on Peter day and night in order
of seniority. They addressed him as "Sergt. Peter, sir."
Over in Flanders things had bumped and smashed along much as usual since
Christmas morning. Mr. Scammell had read his promotion in orders and the
London Gazette, had put up his third star and had gone to brigade as
staff captain, Intelligence; and David Hammer, with the acting rank of
sergeant major, carried on in command of the battalion scouts. Hiram
Sill had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his work on
Christmas morning and the two chevrons of a corporal for his work in
general. A proud man was Corp. Sill, with that ribbon on his chest.
The changes and chances of war had also touched Dick Starkley and Frank
Sacobie. Lieut. Smith had persuaded Dick to leave the scouts and become
his platoon sergeant; Sacobie was made an acting sergeant--and the night
of that very day, while he was displaying his new chevrons in No Man's
Land, he received a wound in the neck that put him out of the line for
two weeks.
Henry Starkley--a captain now--managed to visit the battalion about
twice a month. It was in the fire trench that he found Dick one mild and
sunny morning of the last week of February. The brothers grinned
affectionately and shook hands.
"Peter has sailed for home, wooden leg and all," said Henry. "I got a
letter yesterday from Jack Davenport. Except for the sneaking Hun
submarines, Peter is fairly safe now."
"I hope he makes the farm," said Dick. "He was homesick for it every
minute and working out crop rotations on the backs of letters every
night, in the line and out--except when he was fighting."
"There was something about you in Jack's letter. He says that offer
still stands, and he seems as anxious as ever about it."
Dick sat down on the fire step, thrust out his muddy feet on the duck
boards and gazed at them. He scratched himself meditatively in several
places.
"I'd like fine to be an officer," he said at last. "Almost any one
would. But I don't want to leave this bunch just now. Jack's crowd will
want officers in six months just as much as now--maybe more; and if I'm
lucky--still in fighting shape six months from now--I'll be better able
to handle the job."
"I'll write that to Jack," said Henry. "He will understand--and your
platoon commander will be pleased. He and the adjutant talked to me
to-day as if something were coming to you--a D. C. M., I think. What
happened to your first adjutant, Capt. Long, by the way?"
"Long's gone west," replied Dick briefly.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Shell get him?"
"No, sniper. He took one chance too many."
"I heard at the brigade on my way in that your friend, Dave Hammer, has
his commission. I wonder if they have told him yet."
"Good! Let's go along and tell him. He is sleeping to-day."
They found Dave in his little dugout, with the mud of last night's
expedition still caked on his person from heel to head. His blankets
were cast aside, and he lay flat on his back and snored. His snores had
evidently driven the proprietors of the other bunks out of that confined
place, for he was alone. His muddy hands clasped and unclasped. He
ceased his snoring suddenly and gabbled something very quickly and
thickly in which only the word "wire" was recognizable. Then he jerked
up one leg almost to his chin and shot it straight again with terrific
force.
"He is fighting in his dreams, just the way my old dog Snap used to,"
said Dick. "We may as well wake him up, for he isn't resting."
"Go to it--and welcome," said Henry. "It's an infantry job."
Dick stooped and cried, "Hello, Dave!" but the sleeper only twitched an
arm. "Wake up!" roared Dick. "Wake up and go to sleep right!" The
sleeper closed his mouth for a second but did not open his eyes. He
groaned, muttered something about too much light and began to snore
again. Dick put a hand on his shoulder--and in the same breath of time
he was gripped at wrist and throat with fingers like iron. Grasping the
hand at his throat, Dick pulled a couple of fingers clear. Then the
sleeper closed his mouth again and opened his eyes wide.
"Oh, it's you, Dick!" he said. "Sorry. Must have been dreaming."
He sat up and shook hands with Henry. When he heard of his promotion he
blushed and got out of his bunk.
"That's a bit of cheering news," he said "I'll have a wash on the
strength of that, and something to eat. Wish we were out, and I'd give a
little party. Wonder if I can raise a set of stars to wear to-night,
just for luck."
Henry went away half an hour later, and Dick returned to the fire
trench. Capt. Keen, the adjutant, came looking for Hammer, found him
still at his toilet and congratulated him heartily on his promotion.
"Come along and feed with me, if you have had enough sleep," said the
adjutant. "The colonel wants to see you. He had a talk with you
yesterday, didn't he--about to-night's job?"
"Yes, sir; and it will be a fine job, if the weather is just right.
Looks now as if it might be too clear, but we'll know by sundown. I was
dreaming about it a while ago. We were in, and I had a big sentry by the
neck when Dick Starkley woke me up. I had grabbed Dick."
"The colonel is right," said Capt. Keen. "You're working too hard,
Hammer, and you're beginning to show it; your eyes look like the
mischief. This fighting in your sleep is a bad sign."
"The whole army could do with a rest, for that matter," replied Hammer,
"but who would go on with the work? What I am worrying about now is rank
badges. I'd like to doll up a bit for to-night."
They went back to the sandbagged cellar under the broken farmhouse that
served as headquarters for whatever battalion held that part of the
line. On their way they had borrowed an old jacket with two stars on
each sleeve from Lieut. Smith; and in that garment Dave Hammer appeared
at the midday meal. The colonel, the medical officer, the padre and the
quartermaster were there. They congratulated Dave on his promotion, and
the colonel placed him at his right hand at the table on an upended
biscuit box.
The fare consisted of roast beef and boiled potatoes, a serviceable
apple pie and coffee. The conversation was of a general character until
after the attack on the pie--an attack that was driven to complete
success only by the padre, who prided himself on the muscular
development of his jaws. The commanding officer, somewhat daunted in
spirit by the pastry, looked closely at the lieutenant.
"You need a rest, Hammer," he said. "Keen, didn't I tell you yesterday
that Hammer must take a rest? Doc, just slant an eye at this young
officer and give me your opinion. Doesn't he look like all-get-out?"
"Looks like get-out-of-the-front-line to me, sir," said the medical
officer. "A couple of weeks back would set him on his feet. You say the
word, sir, and I'll send him back this very day."
"But the show!" exclaimed Hammer. "I must go out to-night, sir!"
"Hammer is the only officer with his party, sir," said Capt. Keen to the
colonel. "As you know, sir, we held the organization down this time to
only one officer with each of our four parties--because officers are not
very plentiful with us just now."
"That's the trouble!" exclaimed the colonel. "They hem and haw and chew
the rag over our recommendations for commissions and keep sending us
green officers from England who don't know the fine points of the game.
So here we are forced to let Hammer go out to-night, when he should be
in his blankets. But back he goes to-morrow!"
Dave had intended to sleep that afternoon, but the excitement caused by
the news of his promotion made it impossible. He who had never missed a
minute's slumber through fear of death was set fluttering at heart and
nerves by the two worsted "pips" on each sleeve of his borrowed jacket.
The coat was borrowed--but the right to wear the stars was his, his very
own, earned in Flanders. He toured the trenches--fire, communication and
support--feeling that his stars were as big as pie plates.
Sentries, whose bayonet-tipped rifles leaned against the parapet,
saluted and then grasped his hand. Subalterns and captains hailed him as
a brother; and so did sergeants, with a "sir" or two thrown in. As Dave
passed on his embarrassed but triumphant way down the trench his heart
pounded as no peril of war had ever set it pounding. No emperor had ever
known greater ache and uplift of glory than this grand conflagration in
the heart and brain of Lieut. David Hammer, Canadian Infantry.
He visited his scouts; and they seemed as pleased at his "pips" as if
each one of them had got leave to London. Even Sergt. Frank Sacobie's
dark and calm visage showed flickers of emotion. Corp. Hiram Sill, D. C.
M., who visioned everything in a large and glowing style, saw in his
mind's eye the King in Buckingham Palace agreeing with some mighty
general, all red and gold and ribbons, that this heroic and deserving
young man should certainly be granted a commission for the fine work he
was doing with the distinguished scouts of that very fine regiment.
"I haven't a doubt that was the way of it," said Old Psychology. "People
with jobs like that are trained from infancy to grasp details; and I bet
King George has the name of everyone of us on the tip of his tongue. You
can bet your hat he isn't one to give away Distinguished Conduct Medals
without knowing what he is about."
Hiram joined in the laughter that followed his inspiring statements; not
that he thought he had said anything to laugh at, but merely to be
sociable.
That "show" was to be a big one--a brigade affair with artillery
coöperation. The battalion on the right was to send out two parties, one
to bomb the opposite trench and the other to capture and demolish a
hostile sap head--and together to raise Old Ned in general and so hold
as much of the enemy's attention as possible from the main event. The
battalion on the left was to put on an exhibition of rifle, machine-gun
and trench-mortar fire that would assuredly keep the garrison opposite
occupied with its own affairs.
As for the artillery, it had already worked through two thirds of its
elaborate programme. Four nights ago it had put on a shoot at two points
in the hostile wire and front line, three hundred yards apart, short but
hot. Then it had lifted to the support and reserve trenches. Three
nights ago it had done much the same things, but not at the same hours,
and on a wider frontage. The enemy, sure of being raided, had turned on
his lights and his machine guns on both occasions--on nothing. He could
do nothing then toward repairing his wire, for after our guns had
churned up his entanglements our machine guns played upon the scene and
kept him behind his parapet. The batteries had been quiet two nights
ago, and Fritz, expecting a raid in force, had lost his nerve entirely.
Our eighteen pounders had lashed him at noon the next day, and again at
sunset and again at eleven o'clock; and so he had sat up all night again
with his nerves.
At four o'clock in the afternoon of this day of Dave Hammer's promotion
the batteries went at it again, smashing wire and parapets with field
guns and shooting up registered targets farther back with heavier metal.
When hostile batteries retaliated, we did counter-battery work with such
energy and skill that we soon had the last word in the argument. The
deeds of the gunners put the infantry in high spirits.
The afternoon grew misty; shortly after five o'clock there was a shower.
At half past seven scouts went out from the 26th and the battalion on
the right and, returning, reported that the wire was nicely ripped and
chewed. At eight the battalion on the left put on a formidable
trench-mortar shoot, which quite upset the nerve-torn enemy. Then all
was at rest on that particular piece of the western front--except for
the German illumination--until half past twelve.
Half past twelve was Zero Hour. A misty rain was seeping down from a
slate-gray sky. Six lieutenants in the fire trench of two battalions
took their eyes from the dials of their wrist watches, said "time" to
their sergeants and went over, with their men at their heels and elbows.
The two larger parties from our battalion were to get into the opposite
trench side by side, there separate one to the left and one to the
right, do what they could in seven minutes or until recalled, then get
out and run for home with their casualties--if any. They were to pass
their prisoners out as they collared them. The smaller parties were made
up of riflemen, stretcher bearers and escorts for the prisoners. The
raiding parties were commanded by Mr. Hammer, with Sergt. Sacobie second
in command, and Mr. Smith, with Sergt. Richard Starkley second in
command. Corp. Hiram Sill was in Hammer's crowd.
Captain Scammell from brigade, the colonel and the adjutant stood in the
trench at the point of exit. Suddenly they heard the dry, smashing
reports of grenades through the chatter of machine-gun fire on the left.
The bombs went fast and furious, punctuated by the crack of rifles and
bursts of pistol fire. S. O. S. rockets went up from the German
positions; and, as if in answer to those signals, our batteries laid a
heavy barrage on and just in rear of the enemy's support trenches. The
colonel flashed a light on his wrist.
"They have been in four minutes," he said.
At that moment a muddy figure with blackened face and hands and a slung
rifle on his back scrambled into the trench, turned and pulled something
over the parapet that sprawled at the colonel's feet.
"Here's one of them, sir; and there's more coming," said the man of mud.
"Ah! Here's another. Boost him over, you fellers."
[Illustration: "'HERE'S ONE OF THEM, SIR; AND THERE'S MORE
COMING,' SAID THE MAN OF MUD."]
Into the trench tumbled another Fritz, and then a third, and then a
Canadian, and then two more prisoners and the third Canadian.
"Five," said the last of the escort. "Us three started for home with
eight, but something hit the rest of 'em--T-M bomb, I reckon."
"Sure it was," said the Canadian who had arrived first. "Don't I know? I
got a chunk of it in my leg." He stooped and fumbled at the calf of his
right leg. The adjutant turned a light on him, and the man extended his
hand, dripping with blood.
"You beat it for the M. O., my lad," said the colonel.
Five more prisoners came in under a guard of two; and then six more of
the raiders arrived, two of whom were carrying Lieut. Smith. The
lieutenant's head was bandaged roughly, and the dressing was already
soaked with blood.
"We did them in, sir," he said thickly to the colonel. "Caught them in
bunches--and bombed three dugouts."
He was carried away, still muttering of the fight. By that time the
majority of the other parties were in. Several of the men were
wounded--and they had brought their dead with them, three in number. The
Germans had turned their trench mortars on their own front line from
their support trenches.
"They're not all in yet," said Capt. Keen. "Hammer isn't in."
Just then Dick Starkley slid into the trench.
"That you, Dick? Did you see Mr. Hammer? Or Frank Sacobie? Or Bruce
McDonald?"
"I have McDonald--but some one's got to help me lift him over," said
Dick breathlessly. "Heavy as a horse--and hit pretty bad!"
Two men immediately slipped over the top and hoisted big McDonald into
the trench. Hiram Sill put a hand on Dick's shoulder.
"Dave Hammer and Sacobie," he whispered, "are still out. Hadn't we
better--"
"Right," said Dick. "Come on out." He turned to Capt. Scammell. "Please
don't let the guns shorten for a minute or two, sir; Sill and I have to
go out again."
Without waiting for an answer they whipped over the sandbags. Hiram was
back in two minutes. He turned on the fire step and received something
that Dick and Frank Sacobie lifted over to him. It was Dave Hammer,
unconscious and breathing hoarsely, with his eyes shut, his borrowed
tunic drenched with mud and blood and one of his bestarred sleeves shot
away. Capt. Scammell swayed against the colonel and, for a second, put
his hand to his eyes.
"Steady, lad, steady," said the colonel in a queer, cracked voice.
"Keen, tell the guns to drop on their front line with all they've
got--and then some."
To the whining and screeching of our shells driving low overhead and the
tumultuous chorus of their exploding, passed the undismayed soul of
Lieut. David Hammer of the Canadian Infantry.
Heedless of the coming and going of the shells and the quaking of the
parapet, Sacobie sat on the fire step with his hands between his knees
and stared fixedly at nothing; but Hiram Sill and young Dick Starkley
wept without thought of concealment, and their tears washed white
furrows down their blackened faces.