The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-07-30
A Tommy
Atkins Yarn
BY r. A. Mitchell

British army fellers, and Hive just got
back from ightin' in Belgium, dis
! charged from the service for disability.
The Germans discharged one Of my
arms, and that's the reason Him. ex-
cused from fightin' any more.
All my friends ave been askin' me to
tell 'em a story about my hexperiences.
Hi only got one story. and Hive told that
n dozen times already. But anything
about the war goes, and heverybody is
always ready to listen. Hi don't mind
tellin' it now If you all want to hear it.
Hi was among the first hexpeditionary
force Lord Kitchener SEN over into
Belgium. 1t was reported that VIC
were 10000 men, but there wasn't
much more than $4,000 in the first lot
Of us that landed On the other side Of
the channel. Hi was In the fghtin'
when the Germans drove us back on
Paris and when we run EN- at the bat
tie O. the Marine. Then there was q
short interval afore we got into the
trenches.
1t was in this interval and while We
was marchin' about changin' positions
hevery day that Hi, bein' 'ungry, one
day dug out to look for somethin' to
eat. The Germans wasn't at hany
great distance from US, and Hi 'ad no
business to be prOwlin' about, but
'avin' nothin' to eat made ME reckless,
Hi suppose. Anyway Hi spied a 'ouse
of In the direction of the German
lines, and, heverything lOokin' quiet
and peaceful there, Hi went over, and.
SEEM a girl washin' clothes In the
front yard, Hi asked 'er for somethin'
to eat. She says, Mon comproney pa
and Hi says, Him not yer pa; Hi want
sOmethin' to eat" At the same time Hi
chawed my fingers and rubbed my
| stummick.
She took me into the 'ouse and put
some dry bread afore me with a bottle
O. wine. Think o. eatin' dry bread and
drinkin' wine. At 'ome we ave roast
beef, and If we git a pint O. beer we
think we're dom well.
Hi was munchin' the bread and drink
in the wine, when through the win.
der Hi sor twenty or thirty German
'orsemen comm straight for the 'ouse.
Hi looked ut the girl as much as to say.
"'lde lie" She pulled up a door In
the floor, and III went down a pair O
stairs into a cellar. The 'Orsemen rode
up to the 'ouse. and lookin' through a
cellar wiEder Hi sOr :, general and is
staff and hescort. The general and is
staff disn:uunted and come into the
'ouse, leavin' the hescOrt outside.
Within tie Ecx' 'H.f hour two other
generals rode up to the 'Ouse from diff
ferent directions and went hin. Then
Hi card the cussedest lot o jaw break
in talk Hi hever card hin my life. Hi
wished Hi could understand it, for bit
looked like Il conference or Il council o
war, and hif Hi got away after they'd
left Hi might take some important
information to our commander hin
chief. But 'ow vas Hi to understand Il
language that was worse b Il cObbie
stone road and no springs to the wag-
on? Hi card one man say 'Nein"
and another say "Jah," and then both
Of EN- began workin' their jaws, shov-
IN bout words like bullets from Il rapid
ire %Nl.
ATi'"r HWAlic II " Tie ncn &
Ul0Wed. ANA not being able to talk as
asst as the other li>ted the white flag
~--2nEW0y, they stopped taikln and
soon arfter that they Went out. mount
rd Their orHes ami rode away. When
they'd got clean out O sight the girl
"lvie! the door and said solnethin' Ill
he French lingo that sounded Ike
~'Venuey." mr;nIiu'. Hi suppose. that Iii
W,ls 10 come ul, and Iii mounted the
tops. I'1g-eItl' t!}at sac didn't under
stand IL" only Hecont language i'll the
world. Iii aXed 'er wn the generals wis
taiiil' about. She said somethin' like
Jenny va roHpromi pa. Hi said.
Your naN.e may Ue jenny, but Him
not your pa. MS Hi told YOU once be-
fore
Then Hi made signs by putting my
finger to NV mouth and pOintin' to the
generals ridin' away, and after awhile
she understood me. Then she whipped