Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-05-31

what l um going to tell you Is how
two Of us put II over on the old scamp,
and got away with II. II was risky
thing too, because Old Pepper wouldn't
have been exactly mild with us II he
had got next to the game.
me and my mate, II lad named linr-
ry Cassell, Il bombsrdler In d 23S bat
terry, or nnce corporal, as you call II
In the infantry, used to relieve the
telcphonIsts. We would do two hours
On and four or. would be on duty
IN the advanced observation post,
while he would be At the other end OF
tile wire IN the battery dugout signal
ing station. We were supposed to send
through orders for the battery TO fire
when ordered to do SO by the observa'
tIon officer In the advanced post. But
very few messages were sent. II was
only in ease of an actual attack that
we would get chance to earn our
two and six day. You see, Old Pep
per had issued orders not 10 fire ex'
ccpt when the orders came from him.
Ana with Old Pepper orders Is orders,
and made To obey
THE Germans must have known
about these orders. for even In the any
their transports and troops used Go
expose themselves MS II they were ~
parade. This sure got up our nose,
sitting there day after day, with iine
targets In front OF us but unable 20
send over shell. We heartily cussed
Old Pepper. his orders, the govern.
ment, the people at home, and every
thing In general But the Boches
didn't mind cussing, and got very care
loss. Blime me- they were bally In
suting. Used TO, when using certain
,vnl. throw their caps into the air DO
taunt ut our helplessness.
"CnsSell hud been telegrnphcr IN
civil life and joined up when war was
declared. As for NE, knew Morse,
learned 1t 81 the signalers' school hnck
In 1910. With IN officer In the ohser-
walton post. we could not carry on the
kind Of conversation that's usual be-
tween two mates, so we used the
Morse code To send. one OF US would
tap the transmitter with his finger
nmls. and the one on the other end
would get 1t through the receiver,
Many an hour was whlled away In this
manner passing compliments back and
forth.
in the observation post the officer
used to SIT for hours with powerful
pair Of field glasses TO his eyes,
i Through cleyerly concealed loophole
he would sean the ground behind the
German trenches, looking for targets
and finding many This officer. Cap
tain A. by name, had habit Of
talking out loud TO himself. Some
times he would vent his opinion same
~ common private does when he's
wrought up once upon n time tbs
captain had been on Old Peppers stan
50 he could cuss and blind in the most
approved style. Got to be sort Of q
habit with hin.
about six thousand yards from us
/ behind the German lines, was a road
M plain view Of our post. For the last
i three days Fritz had brought compa'
MES Of troops down this road in broad
daylight. They were never sEeiled
Whenever this happened the captain
would fr9th at the mouth and let out
Il volume Of Old Peppers religion
which used to make me love him.
every battery has a range chart or
which distinctive landmarks are noted
with the range for each. These land
marks are called targets, and ARE mum
bercd. on our battery's chart, that
road was called Target II. Range
COCO, 3 degrees 30 minutes left u 23s
battery consisted Of four 45' howlt
GERS, and fired a 35-pound H. L. shell
As you know, H. E. means high ex
ploslve.' | don't like cumming up my
own battery, but we had record II
the division for direct hits, and oul
boys were just pinIng away for {
chance to exhibit their skill In th'
eyes OF Fritz.
"On the afternoon Of the fourth da!
Of Fritz contemptuous use Of the roaC
mentioned the captain and | were a
our posts as usual. Fritz was strafe
Ing US pretty rough, just Ike he's dolnt
now. The shells were playing leap
frog all through that orchard.
IL was carrying on conversation
in our tap code with Cassel at th'
other end. II ran something like this
"'Say. Cassell, how would you llk'
TO be in the saloon bar of the Kingi
Arms down Rye lane with bottle o
Bass in front Of YOU, and that blonde
harmald waiting to I'll 'em up agalni