dive into a coal hole.

Theyve thrown so much gas at us lately that its gettin on the mens
nerves as well as there close. Most of the fellos would yell gas if
you threw a pot of geraniums into the dugout. Somebody stepped on
Anguses hand while he was asleep yesterday an he put some iodine on
it. He woke up in the middle of the night an smelt it. He had us
wearin our gas masks pretty near the rest of the night. But we--

Ive forgot what I was goin to say there. I bet Ive got gray hairs
since I rote that last line. Just as I got to the "we" I heard the old
klaxon squawk. When I felt around my chest for my gas mask it wasnt
there. It was worse than findin yourself on the street car without a
nickel on the way to your own weddin. I sat there wonderin how long I
could hold my breth till I almost busted a lung. Then I remembered it
was on my knee under the letter where Id been usin it for a ritin
desk. Theyd have sent me back to the States as gas instructor if they
could have seem me put on that mask. Chained lightenin. Thats me all
over, Mable.

All we do nowdays is move. Back in the States it used to take us 24
hours to get ready for a hike. Now were lucky if we get 24 minits. We
expect anything an we havnt been disappointed so far. Like the other
nite when we were on our way to this place. It was rainin as usual.
Wed pitched pup tents in the woods an had just gotten to sleep. Angus
an I was bunkin together on some hay that hed pulled of a forage wagon
that was caught in a jam. We was lissenin to the rain an sayin how
lucky we was not to be out in it. That is nothin but our feet an there
always wet so they dont count. Its funny how different rain sounds
beatin on the sides of a pup tent an on a tin derby.