American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-11-09

Then Took Another Look and Saw
the caValrymen Were Germans.
comes within striking distance you
jump as if you were falling OF a foot
ball, and if you are lucky you will have
chicken for dinner.
l was out one day in a motor with
a staff captain and Dave Smith, the
heavyweight champion, whom l bump
ed against during my first days in the
army. We had been up to a brigade
headquarters and were or return trip.
l had taken a shorter way coming
back, and it was along a very narrow
road. Dave was sitting in the front
with me. and the captain was in the
tOnneau. We were bowling along at
a fairly good pace. and l had visions
Of being back in time for dinner.
l noticed a few cavalrymen away
ahead of US, but they were so far ahead
| didn't pay much attention to them.
The first that knew we were striking
anything out of the ordinary was when
Dave grabbed my rifle out of the buck
ct and began firing over the wind
shield. Then l took another look and
saw the cavalrymen We're Germans.
and there were seven of them.
The road was so narrow that there
wasn't a ghost of a chance to turn
around, and | figured that if we rushed
them we could bluf our way through.
whereas If we stopped they would see
that they outnumbered us two to one
and the chances were we would get the
worst of it. | was so excited / was
trembling all over. and the captain was
| shouting orders at the top of his voice.
Dave was the only cool nan in the
car. and he was sending shot after shot
at them as calmly as If he were on a
rifle range. He shouted to me: &c
like HI. Crowd 'em of the rOad!'
When they saw how we were gain
ing three of them left the road and hit
out across country. | thought Dave
must have hit the other fellow. for h'
simply put the spurs to his horse anC
stuck right to the middle of the road
He didn't attempt to fire at US at all
He was just going for all he was worth
When l saw this | started after hin
in earnest. and he didn't have a chancI
In the world. That car had done seven
weight miles an hour on her test. ant
I hardly gave German horses credit 70
such speed as that. AS we got close
TO him Dave quit firing. for it wouli
have been murder to shoot a man in
tran such as ne was In. He kept TO tn
center of the road. though. and b
wouldn't give an inch.
l was blowing that old siren for a
il was worth. and l opened the cut-ou
to make all the noise | could, tryin
to scare his horse of the road. and tn
animal wanted to get out of the wa.
too. but the rider held him in.
At last Dave said. I'm make hi
move" and he sent a bullet so clos
III bet he could have kissed it as
went by. He gave way then all RICH
and as he did I pulled up alongside {
him. As we came up he pulled a r
volver and fired two shots. which Jul
went over my head. Dave leaned Owe
/. and caught him by the belt. He yanl
: ed him clear Of the saddle and stun
him into the hack of the car. He lam
ed on ton Of the captain. and those tN
we're so mixed up you couldn't tell oil
r. from the other.
l stopped the car as quickly as
could and we o had him "sayir
Uncle though he fought like a VII
n cat for a few minutes. The CAPITA
5. got the worst Of it. for he had a hea
} tiful ''shiner" and the skin of b
1t knuckles. When we searched him '
found thirty-three English ten shilliI
T notes on him. He had taken the
from some OF our fellows. of eours
but what made US mad was that &
= captain would not allow us 70 Se'
them.
N He said it would rot be honest. bu'
noticed that when we handed him ov
4E~N s