The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-10-25

(CoDyrAghts 1914 ~ nesnsxs Oee&S
PARIS. Oct. 25.-No doubt Mos
sieur would regard II Incredible. =
10 not In the French nature. &C.
comprehsnds. to laugh 1t the SUIT
fering Of . comrade. But whensver'
the laughing sniper gave out that
weird whinny through his mega
phone the whole trench would laugh
with him.
sHysteria. perhaps" he said
thoushtfully. Some Of the men
caught their breath in sobs. There
was something In his voice"
He had been sitting At the next
table on the cafe tsrrasse. A most
attractive boy. One had to look
closely to flnd the inch Of ribbon
that told his rank % lieutenant. Al.
ter . time he joined frankly In the
conversation.
II am lonesome. you sse." said he
condidly. To-day my four days
leave In Paris ends and have ssen
no friends. My home u In the
north"
He seemed to enjoy talking Of the
trenches, although he needed
prompting. A question would start
him on . story. but at the end he
would relapse into silence to watch
with smiling appreciation the pretty
women Is they passed and repassed
In front Of the tables. Slender. blue
eyed blonde, he seemed modest - =
girl. and yet one could feel the hre
and spirit underneath. A distinctly
Frnch type, but most unusual one.
It 10 the sniper who is particu-
larry dreaded by the man In the
trench, said he. A shell storm 10 .
very shocking thing. Of course. I'm
der 1t the moral fibre of the human
targets disintegrates In harmony
with the destruction OF their
trenches. But ordinary shell flrs ID
hardly regarded. 1t II always going
on, and one can usually hear the
missile ON its way IN time to dodge.
It Is quite different with snipers. A
moments forgetfulness--a seconds
pause in an exposed section Of The
line-and you are dead.
Here" said he, taking . match
from the box on the table, 'just Ike
that" He broke the match sharply
In two.
The laughing sniper had ben ct
work in one of those canyons In the
vosges where the enemy trenches
approach each other closely. among
the tall, slender pine trees. He was
a man of infinite daring, this Ger
man, and infinite skill. At night he
would hide himself where he could
get clear view through the multi
tude Of tapering boles. Then he
waited nth n deadly patience for
his victims. He rarely fred more
than twice from the same hiding
place. When night came hs would
move to another blind. He did not
often miss q shot. He was known
all along the line because he laugh.
ed when he killed his man.
That was devilish," said the 9TH
er man.
"No," said the boy, thoughtfully.
1T was not the laughter OF wick
ed man. II was as though he were
very greatly amused. There was
something In his voice. One laugh
ed with him"
The laughing sniper mrst have
carried mcgaphone to his daily
post. the boy thought. Perhaps, he
explained, 1t was merely roll OF
bark or a bootleg. although there
are collapsible megaphones that
take up little space. At first the
French soldiers cursed this Laughing
killer. Then the laughter got on
their nerves. They jeered back ct
him In futile defiance. Now and
then he missed his shot. hut laughed
because he thought ne had been
successful. At such times q perfect
storm of laghter rocked up and
down the trench. Men held their
sides and gssped weakly when they
could laugh no more.
II do not understand. now" said
he. "But II was very funny"
He was All Irritation. this laugh
ing man. Usually one fghts, the
boy said. without feeling the un'
pleasantness OF personal hate. Az Z
Frenchman one hates the Boche, Of
course. But after . time the feelina
becomes impersonal. especially Il
the Boche has been fairly quiet fol
= time. II seems rather silly to hate
men one has never seen. He had
known men to spend a month in the
trenches without having once caught
sight of . German. The men were
too apt to fraternixe across the
lines. The officers were forever
forbidding these amenities.
The boy himself Is q sniper. bat
he did not 90 out to kill In any
spirit Of hate. That would SEEM
the boy blushed as he tried to make
plain the way he felt--rather petty.
He was trying to kill for his coun-
try's sake. No doubt the man he
was trying to kill felt the same. It
was that large charity that gave Q
dignity to war. II was this dignity
that the laughter of the sniper dis.