The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-09-16
Ey FREDERICK PALMER.
International EeWs Service.

death more likely.
Its dark enough, now said the
young officer who was my host.
We'll go out with the patrol
By day the slightest movement Of
the enemy is easily and Instantly &C.
tected; the light keeps the combatants
to the warrens which protect them
from shell and bullet fire. At night
there is no telling what mischief the
enemy may be up to- At night you
must depend upon the ear rather than
| the eye for watching. Then the hui
man soldier fox comes out of his war
rem and sneahs forth on the lookout
for prey. At night both sides are on
the prowl
Trained owls would be the most
valuable scouts we could have" said
the young officer. "They would be
more useful than aeroplanes in 10
eating the enemy's gun positions. A
properly reliable owl would come
back and say a German patrol was
out in the wheat field at such point
and we would wipe out that German
patrol with a machine gun
These young officers who fill the
gaps left by the old, do not leave their
fancy behind when they enter the
trenches.
We turned into side trench-an
alley off the main street leading out of
the front toward the Germans.
ANYBODY out?" he asked a soldier
who was on guard at the end of it.
Eyes, two"
Prowling in Paris.
or course, there were two anyhow.
All prowling is done in pairs at least
One man can help his comrade if he
is wounded or bring back the news if
he is dead.
1t is the business Of every man on
guard to know where the patrol goes,
SO as not to fire in that direction.
Sometimes patrol hears fusillade
from both sides sweeping past him.
Follow me-
We climbed out Of the ditch and
stopped low. We were in the midst
OF tanGle OF barbed wire protecting
the trench front which was family Wis
lble in the hedge, as it were, kept
open for just such purposes as this.
When the patrol returned it closed the
gate again.
Lock out for that wire-just there.
Do You see it?''
Everything to keep the Roches off
cur front lawn except Keep off the
grass signs
1t was utterly still-a warm sum-
mers night without a catspaw of
breeze stirring. Through the dark
curtain OF the sky in a parabola ris-
ing from the German trenches swept
a Brilliant sputter Of red light-one
OF the flares which the Germans used
by the millions to assist them in their
night watches. Machine guns, mcrtars
bombs, flares and guns Of all calibers-
the Germans keep everything in their.
locker IN mechanical appliances which /!
VIII economic human force This
was coming as straight toward Us as !
II it had been aimed at US. 1t cast a |
searching, uncanny red glare over the |
tall wheat in head between the |
trenches
Get down. whispered the officer.
just Take the Hint.
- ooSiieu SOIL Ol IOCl1Sn TO GrOVel |
before piece of fireworks There was |
no firing in our neighborhood, nothing
TO indicate state Of war between the .
british empire and Germany, no visual !
evidence Of any German army any
where in France except that flare. |
however, il a guide who knows as :
much about war as this one knew, !
says to get down when you are out
between two lines of machine guns t
and rihes-between the fighting now. !
ers of England and Germany-you take
the hint. The flare sank into the
earth few yards away after a last in
sult1ng ugly fling of red light in our
faces
What if we had been seen?'
They'd have combed the wheat in
this neighborhood thoroughly-apd
they might have got u.s."
It's hard to believe, l suggested.
So it was, he agreed. That was the
exasperating thing about it. Always
nara to believe, perhaps, until after
all the cries of wolf the wolf came
until after nineteen flares the TWEEN
tleth revealed to the watching enemy
the ngure OF man above the wheat,
when a dozen rifles and perhaps a
machine gun suddenly broke the 81.
fence OF night by concentrating on
target.
Then there might be another name
on the British casualty list, which
meant an able-bodied officer or soldier
whom his country had trained was
transferred from the asset to the liza.
blllty column Of the ledger. Keepiny
cover from German flares is q mart of
the minute, painstaking economy Of
war.
Ever on the Watch.
we craWled on slowly through the
wheat, taking care to make no no,sa
I'LL we brought up behind two soldiers
lylng Hat on the earth with their rifles
IN hand ready to fire instantly. It was
thelr business not only to see IL !
e1ehly hrst but to shoot first-and l.,
capture or Kill any German patrol.
ne olhcef spoke to them; they an.
sWered. 1t was unnecessary for them
70 say that they had not seen anv.
Lhlhg. If they had we should have
known it.
lie was cut there less to scout him.
Self than to make sure that thew voro
On the job, that they knew how to
watch. The visit was q part of bia
routine.