The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-07-16
A War
Masquerader
By DUDLEY CHADBOlJRNF


was sent to Flanders and participated
~ the Fighting that resulted from the
herman effort to occupy Calais. !
was early made noncommissioned
ohicer ana by the beginning of the
'nird year of the war commanded nv
company. This was due to the fact
lhat the officers were killed Off and I
was In line for promotion.
curing the first great retreat of the
uermans-I mean the one Of March
ioI'-my regiment was among those
mat were pushing the enemy as II
zen BACK. One night, as we were
nansHhs on the German rear, out of
me darkness came a man. running for
uear HE. followed by shots from the
eastward After getting into our lines
ana recovering breath from his run he
told us in broad Yorkshire dialect that
ne had been living in Germany when
'he war opened, had been forced to
JON the army and bad been long
watching for an opportunity to Join
ms own countrymen. He wished to
enlist at once and fight for the allied
cause
reported the case to headquarters
ana was directed to enlist the man in
NY company. | did SO. and he Joined
US nnder the name of George Calkins.
He seemed quite willing to do what
was required Of him, but showed great
stupidity. He explained his inability
to understand our way of doing things
by saying that all he knew about mill
tary matters he had learned from Ger
: :.,.an Instructors.
OF course lii such fighting as was
taking place at the time there was
great disorder. Men were disappear
ing from the ranks every day, many
Of them unaccounted for. l missed
Calkins but did not learn whether he
had been killed or wounded or was
simply among the thrOng Of missing.
My regiment. being on the extreme
south of the British line, would occa-
sionally get mixed in the heat OF bat
tie with the French troops. One day
| when one of our many attacks on the
Germans had been repulsed and we
were being driven back in some disor.
der, minglng with a number OF
| French troops. found myself retreat
ing 10y the side Of French soldier
who looked enough like Calkins to be
his twin brother Being sure that be
was Calkins himself I said to him:
Hello, Calkns! I thought you were
dead
He was about to reply when one OF
his comrades said something to him,
to which he replied in the French Ian.
guage.
Here was surprise-an uncouth,
stupid Yorkshire man who spoke
French. Considering that he had
come to us from the enemy, l at once
grew suspicious and would have warn
cd his French comrades against him
had there been any opportunity to dc
so. But when heavy fighting Is going
on OPPORTUNITIES to do ordinary things
are not likely to occur Before could
say anything more to Calkins or to
any one about him, presto, force
from the rear was pushed forward tt
cover our retreat. We were gathered
IN and showed toward the enemy.
The next time crossed Calkins
nath was one night when word wat
nassed that the brigade to which my
regiment belonged was about to attact
weak spot In the German army. II
: was reported TO the officers That
; Massachusetts Yankee who had DeeI
caught In Germany when the wal
broke out had come through their lines
and had told OF some ground they oc
cupIed in which mere corporal
onord had been left to keep fires burn
inc while their comrades were retreat
} Inc The general commanding had or
5 dered an attack made, under the Aah
kea's guidance. on this evacuated pc
sition.
While we were forming for the pur
| nose our guide was pointed out TO me
| What was nv establishment 10 se'
ii CalkinSl IL occurred 10 me '"d' -"
| man whether English, French or lan
| Zoo was German spy and was aoou
| 70 lead us into trap. | approache'
| him and heard him speaking TO the ON
| cor who was 10 lead the attack, AM
| no used the dialect of Massachusett
/, farmer lie had not noticed my az
| nroacb and suddenly called from pe
hind him:
| "Calkins"
He turned, and. seeing me. all COLO
| left his face.
General" | said TO the of1cer o.
was talking TO, ''if you follow Una
man TO the enemy's lines you'll neVe
return
| then gave an account how the mai
| bod come in as a deserter from IN
enemy how he had enlisted IN 10.
| companv. how he had pretended stu
nidity. Then / told Of having met hin
among the French.
Nr Calkins. Yorkshireman. alias Nj
peebody. Yankee never heard III
rronch alias-was searched, and va
II -, reformation as 10 the allied al