The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-03-22

the DdtjcTE coIllHlanQer, lnt SefSeuHl
major and CasSell were waiting for us.
We fell il line and the funeral march
to brigade headquarters started.
ARRIVING at headquarters the bat
terry commander was the first to be
interviewed. This was behind closed
doors. From the roaring and eXplO-
siOns of Old Pepper it sounded as if
raw meat was being thrown to the
lions. CasseIl, later. described it as
sounding like bombing raid. III about
two minutes the officer reappeared.
The sweat was pouring from his fore
head, and his face was the color of a
beet. He was spcechless. AS he
passed the captain he jerked his thumb
in the direction of the lions den and
went out. Then the captain went in,
and the lions were once again fed.
The captain stayed about twenty min
utes and came out. | couldn't see his
face. but the GrOOp in his shoulders
was enough. He looked like wet hen.
"The door of the generals room
opened and Old Pepper stood in the
doorway. With q roar he shouted:
(which one of you is Cassell?
D-n me, get Your heels together
when I speak, Come in here
"CasselI started to say. Yes sir
But Old Pepper roarCd, Shut up
"Cassell came out in five minutes.
He said nothing, but as he passed me
he put his tongue into his cheek and
winked. then. turning to the closed
door, he stuck his thumb to his nose
and left.
"Then the sergeant majors turn
came He didn't come out our way.
Judging by tie roaring, Old Pepper
must have eaten him.
"When the door opened and the gen.
eral beckoned to me, my knees started
to play Home, Sweet Home against
each other.
my interview was very short.
"Old Pepper glared at me when I
entered. and then let loose.
"'Of course you don't know anything
about it. You're just like the rest
Ought to have a nursing bottle around
your neck and nipple in your teeth.
Soldiers-by CAD, you turn my stom-
ach to look at you. Win this war,
when England sends out such samples
as l have in my brigade! Not likely
Now, sir, tell me what you don't know
about this affair Speak up, out with
it. Don't be gaping at me like fish.
Spit it out
81 stammered, Sir, know absolute
ly nothing
""That's easy to see,' he roared;
that stupid face tells me that. Shut
up. Get out; but 1 think you are
ID liar just the same. Back to
your battery
81 saluted and made my exit.
'"That night the captain sent for US.
With fear and trembling we went to
his dugout. He was alone. After sa-
luting we stood at attention in front
Of him and waited. His say was short.
Don't you two ever get it into your
heads that Morse is q dead language.
I've known it for years. The two OF
you had better get rid of that nervous
habit of tapping transmitters; it's dan
gerOus. That's ALL
1--WE saluted, and were just going ont
the door of the dugout when the cap
tain called up back and said:
"'Smoke Goldflakes? Yes? Well,
there are two tins of them on my table.
Go back TO the battery, and keep your
tongues between your teeth. Under
StandT
eve understood.
For five weeks afterwards our bat
terry did nothing but extra fatigues.
We were satisfied and so were the
men. 1t was worth it to r'--- one over
on Old Pepper, to say ng of the
injury caused to Frit feelings"
When Wilson had finished his story
I looked up and the dugout was
jammed. An artillery captain and two
officers had also entered and stayed
for the finish. Wilson spat out an
enormous quid of tobacco, looked up,
saw the captain, and got as red as a
carnation. The captain smiled and
left. Wilson whispered to me:
"Blime me, Yank, l see where 1 click
for crucifixiOn. That captain is the
same one that chucked us Goldfakes
in his dugout and here l have been
'chucking me weight about in his
hearing"
Wilson never clicked his crucifiXion.
Quite a contrast to Wilson was an
other character in our brigade named
Scott; we called him "Old Scotty" on
account of his age. He was fifty-Seven,
although looking forty. "Old Scotty"
had been born in the Northwest and
police. He was a typical cowpuncher
and Indian fighter and was a dead shot
with the rifle, and took no pains to
disguise this fact from us. He used to
take care of his rifle as if 1t were
baby. In his spare moments you could
always see him cleaning it or polish
ing the stock. Woe betide the man
who by mistake happened to get hold
of this rifle; he soon found out his
error. Scott was as deaf as mule,
and it was amusing at parade to watch
him in the manual of arms, Slyly
glancfng out of the corner of his eye
at the man next to him to see what
the order was. How he passed the
doctor was a mystery to us; he must
have bluffed his way through, because
he certainly was independent. Beside
him the Fourth of July looked like
Good Friday. He wore at the time a
large Sombrero, had Mexican stock
saddle over his shoulder, lariat on
his arm, and a "forty-five" hanging
from his hip. Dumping this parapher-
MALTA on the floor he went up to the
recruiting officer and shouted: I'm
from America, west of the Rockies,
and want to join your id army.
I've got 70 use for a German and can
shoot some. At Scotland Yard they
turned me down; said 1 was deaf and
so l am. 1 don't banker to ship in with
a id underwriting outfit, but the
cavalry's full, so l guess this regi
ment's better than none, SO trOt out