American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-11-16

fellows getting a bit OF nuisance.
Have to be jumped on. tho I don't
want to do it. He's such a deuced
funny devil.
" Inspect your platoons, gentle
men, he ordered. The subalterns sa-
luted, and departed to their task. The
sergeant-major coughed discreetly
and remarked. Il see i'm engaged with
the mayors daughter before the par
ade, sir" I'll daughter him. snap
ped the captain.
"At that moment a little man with
an exceedingly small head, hat
less, and carrying a rifle, was observ-
ed doubling along the street toward
the company.
" Private Ball. Here,' roared the
sergeant-major. The little man
marched up and put on a look which
a stone statue caught absent from its
pedestal might be expected to as
sumo.
Where have 0 been? demanded
the officer.
Lookin' fer me at. sir. Couldn't
find none
" Go and get one.
'Cawnt find none to fit, sir. Me
'ead's to small
" Get any hat you can find, said
the captain testify.
"A few minutes passed the platoon
commanders finished their inspection
and stood before their %platoons.
The captain stepped back two or
three PAGES and called the company
to attention. They stood stiff and
solemn as gate-posts. Suddenly he
,,tf.,I tI. r~aaIan 1onl an fhnir fappe
relax. One man in No. , Platoon was
actually grinning. The captain turn
ed on his heel sharply and caught
his breath. He was used to emergen-
cies. He had dealt with them for the
last two years from Ypres to the
Somme, but his was out of the Ordi-
nary. For a brief instant he reflect
ed. The company would certainly
laugh. 1t would be better for the
company to laugh within the letter of
the law. so to speak. at he position of
stand easy than to grin and giggle
at the position of Attention Stand
AT ease-stand easy he said. On the
word easy a roar of laughter crashed
like a volley from one end of the com
pany to another. Even the sergeant
major pretended to blow his nose,
WUlle captain NltlllAElOn "a tADh
bled with a fly in his throat. For
, bearing down on the company in a
smart and soldier-like manner as the
drill-bOOk has it, came Private Ball,
, rifle at the slope, wearing a dingy
70 top-hat, and with a look of unimpeach-
able righteousness on his india-rub-
2 Der countenance. The Captain had
given him a free hand in the matter OF
900 go IL s--.s-L r.-r Of hrr ~
5 had been too much for him.
+ A few weeks later the company with
1 many others was going over the tor
q to capture an exceedingly strong piece
, of German line. The story goes on:
Captain Warrington was taking
final look through a periscope at th'
: frontage his company was about to as
= sault. He looked cheerful enough
Il he always looked cheerful on thes'
occasions-but his thoughts werI
l grave. The bit of line his compan.
had to attack was extremely stronl
and lay between the horns of tw'
v small salients in the enemy line
Therefore the space that A compan,
d would have to cross would be swep
by thanking m~achine-gun fire iron
both sides.
The captain had chosen Prlvat
n Ball to be his observer on this occa
le sion. and hi was carrying a sand-bas
What's in that sand-bag. Ball| aske'
a subaltern. glad of anything to tai
about. 'Mewnitions, sir, was the cd
! reply. Your observer looks like dc
' ing a bit of booming on his WI to
Y day. remarked the sub-altern to hi
y commander. The captain looked
' his watch. A few seconds more, tn
M whistles sounded along the line, an
a A Company was over the top. Tee
lg t~oc-toc-toc' went the German machin
lie guns from both flanks. 1t was as tn
'e captain had feared, and the first lir
was almost swept away before reaci
a ing the German wire. The second an
third lines faltered. stopt, and sougl
IN cover in shell-holes. The captain,
IL the rear of the company, set his ia
very firmly. All his officers wei
IS. down. but he knew that every man
his within sight would 10
low him, and he meant to get tho.
be trenches. He took off his steel ne
pit met that all might recognize him Il
to easier. and stalked slowly toward Il
,e. enemy trench. Private Ball, with b
nd ~sand-bag. followed close behind. II
line moved forward once more. al
n then the captain fell, shot throus
both thighs. Again the line faltere
Us