The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-12-06
CHAPTER III.
Spotted" by a Bluejacket.

Spotted" by a Bluejacket
or course we ran at night with all
our portfolios masked. and no
smoking was permitted either on
deck or below after dark. II the guard
caught soldier sneaking a flag be
tagged him and forced him to do guard
duty until he in turn caught another al
IL. The system worked pretty well
The boys could smoke all they wanted
10 on deck in the daytime. After the
lights were out our sleeping quarters
were absolutely dark, and there was a
severe penalty for lighting even
match. The portfolios were open to
keep the men from suffocating.
Before dark carefully located my
husbands bunk since l knew l would
have to travel by dead reckoning. and
couldn't afford to stumble over some.
thing. because that would get Smithers
ard my husband in bad and lead to my
discovery. Before going to bed took
OF my heavy shoes and carefully hid
them. ! was going to make the trip i'm
my stocking feet.
Shortly after lights out ! felt a gen
tie push on my arm. and Smithers
whispered:
"Al right kidde Go up forward"
sneaked out of the bunk and
reached my husbands berth without
inishap. He was glad to see me, and
for awhile we forgot the ship and the
WEI; and the dangers and were our
selves. But. sodier-like. he suddenly
zane down to cases.
T.
said. ''You can't 90 Oh or you will get
rs all in bad"
pleaded with him. He insisted that
he owed it to his country and his uni
form TO report me
Forget YOU have seen me-" ! urged
and let me 90 along. l will join the
iicd Cross as soon as l get ashore in
France"
Alarm Interrupts Talk.
lie finally agreed he would not re-
port me until just before we arrived.
IL l got away with it that long, but he
insisted he must do it then However
we agreed to see each other the next
night TO have another talk. and
thought. with the whole Atlantic be-
tween us and France, | could persuade
him in the meantime. Just as / was
getting ready to go back the submarine
alarm sounded which broke all the boys
out of their hunks. seaslck as most OF
them were
ran back to my place just in time
to hear the rookie quartered over me
arguing with the sergeant.
Get up out of therew shouted the
mon com" That's the u boat alarm"
Il don't care whether we sink or
not" answered the poor boy Il hope
she does. Don't bother me"
The sergeant routed out the rookie
without much ceremony. and | follow
ed along to place assigned TO me on
Il life raft putting on my life belt as
went. All the men had orders to don
their life preservers first and then 20
in an orderly manner to their places
Already there had been two or three
drills IN the daytime. and the disci
ilnea mcn soon catches on
hen I reached the deck there Wa
no confusion and no excitement in the
pitch black darkness. The men wery
proceeding quietly to their places. fas.
tening on their life belts. although most
ing sleeps. and | was proud Of the be
bavior Of the soldiers Uncle Sam was
sending to the trenches
n an our boys who are going to
France obey instructions as well as
that shipload did there will he no ex
cllSe for the loss OF life. Ii all moved
like clockwork. No one lost his head
Ny seasick rookie. however. climbed
into the wrong boat and got call from
the corporal
Don't You know" beloved the cor.
loral that lifeboat is reserved for Of
frers; Get out or there
&c don't think this is a very demo
mite army gTnmbled the youngster
III they're fussy what boat you get In
al such time. I'm going to Russia to
enlist where there's some freedom. II
they don't drown me. and ] don't care
If they do"
Tie alarm was only intended as Il
night drill. and we were soon ordered
lack 10 quarters. trailed along with
the rest, almost boldly. because there
was little danger of detection in that
inNy darkness. ! rolled into my bunk
and was soon as sound asleep as any
body. AS dOzed of knew ! was not
afraid Of submarines. for the alarm
Lad not scared me at all and thought
e had sighted a sure enough u boat
After that we had many Of these
drills at all hours. Most or the men
soon became calloused TO the danger of
submarines. and some OF them got so
they would sleer ----aon=h the alarm