The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-11-04

trenches from one day to the next, chafed
mightily-hence the enticing Of the artillery
man into poker
"You gunners and the engineers" COM
planned Morton as the four men squatted in
the darkness, are the only ones getting any
fun out OF this business.
No one seemed moved to reply, and Nor
ton pounded one stone against another with
the careless noisiness Of boy.
"And it's all the fault OF your guns, .
Morton burst out, dropping the stones.
"Those engineers work like navvies, and
get the parallels out far enough so we can
crawl up bit, and then-bangl 60 your
guns, and their guns bang back, and we
crawl in our holes again. Oh, it's greatl"
Through the decreasing sounds OF the
enemy's shells outside Thatcher could be
heard uncolling his long limbs.
I'm ten DAYS more, he announced, in his
usual even torres, "we'll have shelled you
fellowsinto Platburg. Youwon even have
to fight your way in.
Morton snorted with disgust as he poked
his head out to see it the smashing OF shells
had ceased.
ways clear" he announced, then as the
other men followed him, be continued
"that's just it; you'll fix it SO we can go in
without fight, and call that warl You
might Just as we'll play chess with en-
To which Thatcher youchsafed nothing
but superior expression, not even deigning
to notice the fraternal winks of the Maxim's 5
crew
As the men crawled into the bright sun
light, they could see the rest OF the army
going through the same ant-hke perform
ance. Morton slipped into the lines OF the
Infantry trenches while Thatcher stalked
off to the pits where his battery lay.
lust to fool you people, Morton yelled
after him, "I'd like to pull off some wooden
horse trick!'
Aiorton's binoculars swept over the un-
VARYING aspect Of the debated ground lie
saw the yellow lines Of their own trenches,
and the fresh "zig-zagsN which the engineers
had driven during the night Before them
stretched broad, fertile plain, which the
cautious enemy had burned clear OF stand
ing grain and cover Of all sorts Three
thousand yards away rose the sharp blulf on
whose summit scowled the sturdy little
town, the face of the bluff SCARED with rifle
pits and dotted with little spots which Nor
ton knew were the posts which supported
the acknowledgements. Back Of the blum,
curving around 10 meet the sweep OF the be-
sieging trench Morton knew, was the
arn OF the lake which had enabled the
attacking force to bottle the defenders in
the circle
Thatcher's battery went into action to
his left with a sudden roar, and Mortons
glasses followed The curving fight oi the
shells. and marked the accurate bursting ot
the shrapnel He saw the tell-tale rings Of
blue smoke and knew that the enemy's in
fantry was scattering Us he and his conpan-
lens had done lev moments before, but
that, when the bombardmcnt stepped, they,
too, would come back.
With q grunt Of dissatisfaction he swung
hi glasses farther to the right. where the
nicely ballasted road-bed Of the single line
oi raiircad ruled Oh the horizon. Ilesludied
it for minute Ct two, dropped his glasses,
swore under his breath. end looked again
with his neck bent sharply forward Ihen
he put the glasses very slowly into their case
and slapped his leg three times.
"a wooden horse" he murmurel in
tones that jumped; "by Gcorgcl wooden
horse"
A glance at the landscape and at the
sprawling, somaolent hgures Of his own men
assured him that he might move in safety,
and he craNled cautiously to where Ihatch-
ers battery had fallen silent. lie found
Thatcher. covered with oil and powder
stains working at an elevating-screw With a
wrench.
I've got a proposition to make to you, :.
he announced.
Thatcher went on with his work. What
is it2" he inquired Iistlessly, between jerks
at the wrench
Morton sat down on the tail-piece Of a
gun and deliberately lighted his pipe.
an bet YOU that four hundred y he said,
"that | eat dinner in Platburg within three
days-not TO count unless you see me do
it.
Thatcher finished his work and turned
around.
You're crazy" he said wiping his
natlua Oh MS IoHsSis. odl3 E~e ~
IN IN ten days | won't. Our ammuni-
tion IS running low"
% Allo TIE better responded Morton
And I'm not crazy. think
l can colt. It's just plain, sporting prop
osition, William, with none OF the draw
backs n poker, at which am your master
Want 70 cover?"
"Oa all right, replied Thatcher, tone
lessif with a sour glance at the small pile Of
b'r. cases which marked the limit OF his
Dattery's usefulness.
They shook hands, then Morton added:
Now / want to borrow the price OF that