The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-05-10

oht hthIu Tree crash down cur
automobile was on the long, straight
road that ends ut Riga.
A Grow Pecking, Peeking.
We VIII get out here, said the ad
Jutaut A car makes good target.
We did. The chauffeur turned the
cur, to be ready IN case anything han.
pened, as the Hittfneister explained.
We waded through the slush ot snow
water and mud to the OUTPOST. A
movable frame on which barbpd wire
had been stretched WAS at one side
of the road. Ii seemed to be the gate
10 the road to Riga. Two l.andstum
men, rifles canted over their shoulders
paced up and down the road one VI
them was explaining 10 the other why
he did not like strauss
You can see the Russians through
YOUR glasses said the Rlttmeister.
Sure enough. That straight gray
road cut a notch In the black line Of
forest In that notch could wee the
men " the Russian outpost sitting
about y fire. II was one VI the III
tie evidences Of the difference between
the German and the Russian military
discipline. Under the glasses the wood
appeared TO be an open one, 50 that a
brown light came down through the
branches. There were Russians every
where. We could see the mmoyIng
about the trees. On the road-half
way between the two outposts-a flock
OF crows were crawling and cawing
and flying about q dead man Through
my glasses could see that a crow
was sitting upon his shoulder-peck
Ing, pecklng
The Rittmeister and the Adjutant
were wandering down the road toward
the Russians, talking Of things that
did not seem to US OF immediate in
terest They lighted cigarettes. A
tree fell al the Russian gateway with
noise that we plainly heard.
Through my glasses | could see long
gray gun In the gap left by the fallen
tree. II was trained directly down the
road. | reflected that snrapnel comes
from a bursting shell Just us water
Is thrown from bucket--covering
an area long In the line Of flight
rather than wide--and that four men.
followed Ut an interval by two sentries.
backed at another interval by q car.
might cOnceivably prove tempting
target. But we said nothing.
More Food for Pecking Crows, Perhaps
We will not 20 any farther" said
the Rittmeister They might not un.
derstand what we are doing and shoot
AZ us
We did not 90 any further We
stood there In nice group. The Ritt.
meisters assurance that q gunner very
rarely got the proper range with the
first shot OF shrapne somehow failed
to cheer us Neither did his explans
tion " his inner reason for not deslr
Ing 10 provoke the Russians into
shooting
Our men have worked very hard
the last few days" said he. "One shot
might be followed by general engage
ment and we want them to have a
good rest"
We started-sauntering back 10.
NhTu Nlose lshnusIlum men VINO Were
discussing Strauss They seemed a
long way-O very long way--back on
the road 10 Riga The Rittmelster
aud the adiutant walked very slowly
Now and then the Rittmeister would
think Of new question TO AJAX the
adIWant and they would stop and
talk once the adjutant worked out
some military problem In the mud OF
the road with the toe Of his boot
Try the way" said the Rlttmelster
suddenly, ~ they should begin 10 fire
throw Yourself on your face"
We thought-and spoke of that
man on the road ahead, on which IN,
crows were perched At last we came
to the barbed wire frame. The two
LRndstrum men wheeled, elbow TO el
how as we passed through
81 tell YOU said the one earnestly
Strauss can never he great He (.
a mere merchant 10 clangor"
- a