Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-18

line. Then there WAS the SHARP crack
OF bullet and of another close follow :
ing, and ;hirl moved Il sand bai; :,
Z little, Up to 500 yards the bullet
cracks. Beyond that range II whistles.
signs, even whcczcs
Snipcrs, it's your hat. sir said
Tommy. My hat came down. also my
head with it, YOU bet, and became i'm
mediately strong advocate of observa-
ton through periscopcs. One crack on
peaceful day ia sufficient warning
that an unusual cXcresccncc which
might be human crown is visible
above your own parapct. while you are
watching for the same kind of target
on the German parapct
FOLIAGE OF SUMMER
BLESSING TO SHIPPERS
Elevation gives snipers. who are al
ways trained shots. an angle Of ad-
vantage. III winter they had to rely
on buildings. which often came tum-
bling down with them when hit by Il
shell The foliage Of summer is
blessing to their craft.
Docs ii look TO YOU that there is an
opening in The branches of that tree
the big one at the right"
III tiic mass oi green leaves uark
spot was visible il might he natural
or il might be space cut away for
the swing of a rife barrel. Perhaps
sitting up there snugly behind n bullet
proof shield fastened to the limb was
Il German sharpshootor watching for
a shot with the patience of hound
for n rabbit 10 come out OF its hole
IT'S about time we gave that tree
n spray, good for that kind of fun"
bullet coming our side swept
overhead. One of our own sharp
shooters had seen something 10 shoot
at Not giving YOU much excite
mcn;," said Tommy.
The real excitement, when it comes.
does not last long. 4 bath of shells
on trench and a charge to take it
that is real excitement. If it kept up
continually. there would not be many
soldiers left in either army Where
would YOU find the shells and cart
ridges for such n hell?
Il suppose I'd get little excitement
maybe II | stood up on the parapet?"
asked.
You would get ticket for England:
you'd get box"
There's a cemetery just back OF the
lines. "if you'd prefer to stay in
France"
TENDER-HEARTED SOLDIERS
joke WITH DEATH
| had passed that cemetery with it's
fresh wooden crosses OH my way to
the trench These tender-hcartcd
living soldiers, who joke with death.
have placed flowers on those graves of
fallen comrades and bought elaborate
French burial wrcathes with their
mcagcr pay, which Is another side of
Mr.. Thomas Atkins. There's sentiment
in him. Yes. he's loaded with it.
Keep your head down there" called
corporal. 81 don't want to be taking
an inventory OF your kit Mr.. Eames"
Eames did not realize his head was
above the narapct. The hardest thing
to teach Il soldier is not to expose him
self. Officers repeat warnings and
forget to practice what they preach"
That morning soldier had been
shot through the heart and arm, side
ways, back of the trench. He had lain
down there unnoticcd for snooZc in
the sun, it was supposed When ne
awoke. presumably, he sat up and
yawncd, and Herr Schmidt from some
platform in tree had put one more
name on the list OF killed in the Eng
i'siI phItIS,
The next morning I saw the British
take their revenge. Some German, who
thought he could not be seen in the
midst Of dawn. was walking along the
German parapct. What hopes four
or five men took careful aim and fired
That dim figure collapsed in way
that was convincing
AS swept the line OF German
trenches with glasses / saw a swish
of flag clinSing to its pole in the
still air far down to the left. Flags
are as unusual above trenches as men
standing up in full view of the enemy
Then breeze caught the folds of the
flag and ] saw that IT was the tri-
color of France
"A Roche joke" Tommy explained
Probably they are hating the French
to-day"
NO. its zeen there some days. They
want us TO shoot At the flag OF our
ally They'd get a laugh out of US
regular q Hochc idea OF humor"
If it were Il German flag" | sug-
gcstcd
What hopes we'd make it into a
lace curtain"
Even the guns have ceased firing.
The birds in their even song had all
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