The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-12-25
GERMANY USES STAGE TRICK TO
SWELL PROCESSION Of PRISONERS
In Order to Give Air of Vestude to Tales Foes Regiments
AnnihIated Tranoads Of CaptWes Are Sent Through Same
Town Many Tmes-Began Trooper Becomes Peeved
at Twelfth Trip Through AK-a-ChapeNe

woods and are as reluctant as Carrion
crows to leave. Last night we heard
heavy footsteps, an odd noise like
jatapoum, patapoum.' Was it batch
of German deserters coming to us, or
outposts returning with some warn
ing? l peered into the darkness, and
within a few feet of my head was-a
fat pig. He was more frightened than
l, and decamped. We followed, and
in five minutes Mr.. CoChon was tied to
the wheel of an ammunition cart. He
grunted all night long.
Next morning men from the neigh
boring battery heard of our interest
ing capture and claimed it as theirs.
What cheek! We squabbled, and
everybody asserted his right to the
prisoner. Suddenly shrapnel began to
fall in the midst of the debate. Did
Prussian shells stop the row over that
! pig? No, sir! For ten more minutes
the two batteries argued, while bullets
| flew and the pig squealed.
'The chef of a portable kitchen has
his little joke. How polite the Boches
are he said. They even send US
their marmites (black Marias) in
which to cook our puddings.' Then
along came the captain. In the name
of heaven" he exclaimed, get back to
your 75s, Cut the pig in two! A mil
itary Solomon had solved the difficulty
and both battalions had pork for sup
per that night"
Germans Without Humor.
Describing the conditions surround.
ing the British army, lieutenant in
the Royal Army Medical corps. writ,
ing home, says:
In front of us are the German
trenches, onl. hundred yards away
A bobbing head, shaking fist, an &C.
casional spade wave, bespeak the
presence of our foe. Yesterday one OF
our merry men fixed up target. On
white paper he drew a bull's-eye with
charred stick, tied 1t on cardboard
box, placed it in front of the trench and
with flag behind recorded the misses
of 'our friend Fritz. l feel sure that il
in those trenches we had a more hui
morous foe instead of the phlegmatic
Teuton we might pass away many 81
the weary hours of watching in friend
ly joke. But we are up against wary
foe. There Is no leisure, for barbed
wire, artfully contrived hoops and
loopholes forever claim the attention
of our brave men.
There are times, though, even I'M
der fire, when the humor of our sol
diers bursts forth. On one occasion
after a German shell had fired some
wood, our men, seeing the fire, seized
the opportunity to cook their food
Yesterday | heard an amusing story
under trying circumstances told con
corning man in the regiment LYING
in the thin red line next to us. Shrap
mel had burst, killing two men on his
left and badly shattering another. He
was trying to light pipe, and having
some difficulty he said to his mate
Sure tbs Belgian tobacco, and thess
French matches will be the death o,
me-
German Shot Spells Milking.
Il sometimes help the officers tc
censor the mems letters home One
man says, We shall have shells fol
breakfast-not egg-shells. shall be in
Berlin in a fortnight, and I'll send you
some sausages.' overheard on the
march one Pat say to another, q
never believe anything l hear, ant
only half of what l say"
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