“Someding lively,” was the reply. “Someding to make us forget why we are here.”
“The Darktown Colored Ball,” suggested McHugh.
“Yah!” came the cry from the German lines. “Dat is id. Someding with the swing.”
So McHugh sang. And when he concluded, a hail of applause came from the enemy lines. The American troops also applauded and cheered. Two more popular songs McHugh sang and then, when the applause had died down, he called out:
“That’s all for to-night, professor. More some other time.”
“Good,” was the shouted reply. “Now I keep my word. Tell your friend oud there he may return without fear.”
“Come on in, you out there,” cried one of the Yankee soldiers.
“Oh, no,” the man in the shell hole shouted back. “They just want to get me out there for a little target practice.”
“Rats!” shouted McHugh. “Crawl out of there and come in like a man. We’re here to protect you if we have to.”
“You haven’t done much of a job of it so far,” said the voice from No Man’s Land.