Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-27


Camp Dodge, Iowa. Nov. 27.-Theyre
so Jolly seefetiye, you know.
Not mysteriously so, no indeed.
They don't look supercilious, or frown
and declaim; 1--WE nothing to say"
They don't even don false mustaches
when they see you coming. But those
British officers at Camp Dodge just
won't commit themselves.
You cant look at those well-groom-
ed, sturdy fellows without simply dy-
ing TO know about the engagements in
which they have participated. And
when you say to them: "0h, yes. You
were In" and then wait patiently
for them TO name their engagements,
they just smile engagingly and tell
you that 'the government, you know,
won't have 1t, this giving Of interviews.
AwfulIy sorry; decidedly so"
These aren't battle-scarred, stiff
kneed heroes They're a healthy look
| ing lot, these folks whove seen ser
vice in the English army and have
dared almost impossible difficulties
for their Britannia. In their hobby
| sand-colored uniforms, their jaunty
little caps, and with their smart
swagger sticks under their arms they
are quite picturesque ard distinctly
different" And they shatter any i'm
preston that you may have had rela-
tive to the British sense Of humor
For they have keen sense, them
selves. and it's with fiendish glee tha
each passes you on to his companion
saying, Here's the fellow you wan
to see"
| asked Lieutenant J. H. Bright
man if they played that game in thu
| English army which our American
boys call passing the buck"
why, really" he said. puzzled. "
don't quite understand The buck, dit
You say? How interesting. l don
believe ! ever heard Of the game. An
other of your American sports, I pre-
sumo"
Then he caught at the sleeve Of Cap
tain F, B. Blackwell, who was passing
! The captain flashed the dazzling smile
- too. But he didn't stop, even whe
o. the lieutenant said, Here's the ma
! you're looking for" With dramati
flourish Of his swagger stick. he wa
out the door.
Talk about your prima dOnnasl TIL
most retiring is brazen compared
70 these war experts And they're S
T cheerful about it all. That's wins
: rankles, and it makes girl reports
I frOth at the mouth,
0 Take Lieutenant G. A Parnell, fC
r instance. A very estimable youn
s man, no doubt, and he doesn't look Xix
$ a person who would endanger a y0un
$ girls daily bread by refusing to tall
u But he is just that sort of a man, an
n doesn't show any conjunction as b
= passes the buck" to his fellow of
u GERS. These fellows certainly hay
e that game down to science, eve
t. though they don't plan it in Englan
r It just comes natural to some folks.
S But they do like American Sian
They'll admit that Our expression
d please them immensely. and they'l
n learning fast. Now and then they al
!. a little puzzled over some OF theT
d though. When they heard a Can
: Dodge soldier speak Of a man beir
= "plastered," they raised their ey
p brows in interrogation.
THE man was -plastered? p o.
Of them inquired.
st Eyes, sir, the soldier reptile
S Downright plastered. You kno
? gummed up: spifflicated-sou sed."
y A light dawned on the visitor
II They'd received another lesson
= slang They'll back our American g
a der right off the boards in that la
II guage before long.
II