Rockingham post-dispatch., 1918-05-30

PAGE FIVE
rnine ern my 1lnEvrs aYu s.-...
"'Beg your pardon, sir, just a habit
with me-
sand Id silly one, too.' he am
swered, turning to his glasses again.
and l knew I was safe. He had not
tumbled to the meaning Of that tap
ping. .
"All at once, without turning round.
he exclaimed:
"'Well, of all the nerve I've ever run
across, this takes the cake. Those
Boches are using that road
again. Blind my eyes, this time 1t Is
whole brigade Of them, transports and
all. What a pretty target for our
ass The beggars know that we
won't fire. A id shame, call It
Oh, lust for chance to turn d 2Sa
loose on them
'I was trembling with excitement
From repeated stolen glances at the
captains range chart, that road with
its range was burned into my mind.
"Over the wire tapped, ID 23S bat
terry, Target IT, Range 6OOO, 3 degrees
so minutes, left, salvo, fire. Cassell
0. KID my message, and with the re-
ceiver pressed against my ear, walt
ed and listened. In a couple OF min
utes very family over the wire came
the voice of our battery commander
issuing the order: ID 238 battery
Salvo! Firer
"Then roar through the receiver
as the four guns belched forth,
screaming and whistllng overhead, and
the shells were on their way.
"The captain jumped as If he were
shot, and let out great big expressive
d-n, and eagerly turned his glasses
In the direction of the German road.
I also strHined my eyes watching that
target. black clouds of dust rose
up right in the middle of the German
column. Four direct hits-another
record for d 23S.
1.-THE shells kept on whistling over
head, and I had counted twenty-four
of them when the firing suddenly
ceased. When the smoke and dust
clouds lifted the destruction on that
road was awful. Overturned limbers
and guns, wagons smashed up, troops
fleeing in all directions. The road and
roadside were spotted all over with
little field gray dots, the toll Of our
guns.
'The captain, In his excitement, had
slipped off the sandbag, and was on
his knees in the mud, the glass still at
his eye. He was muttering to himself
and slapping his thigh with his disen-
gagged hand. At every slap a big
round juicy cuss word would escape
from his lips followed by:
"Good! Fine! Marvellous! Pretty
Workl Direct hits ALL
'aThen he turned to me and shouted:
Wilson, what do you think of itf
Did you ever see the like Of it in your
nfe2 D-n fine work. call it.
"Pretty soon look Of wonder stole
over his face and he exclaimed:
"sBut who in h-A gave them the
order to fire. Range and everything
correct, too. I know didn't Wilson,
did give you any order for the bat
terry to open upi OF course I didn't.
did IT
II answered very emphatically, mo.
sir, you gave no command. Nothing
went through this post. / am abso-
lutely certain ON that point, SIR
s'Of course nothing went through
he replied Then his face fell. and he
muttered out loud:
"'But, by Jove wait till Old Pep
per gets wind of this. Theren be fur
flying
Just then BombArdier Cassell cut In
on the wire:
Generals compliments to Captain
A. He directs that officer and sig
naler report at the double to brigade
headquarters as soon as relieved. Re.
lief now on the way
"In an undertone to me, Keep
brass front, Wilson, and for Gods
sake, stick I answered with, Rely on
me, mate but was trembling all over
II gave the generals message to the
captain, and started packing up.
""The relief arrived, and as we left
the post the captain said:
SNOW for the fireworks, and know
they'll be good and plenty They were
"When we arrived at the gun pit:
! the battery commander, the sergeant
= major and Cassell were waiting for us
I We fell in line and the funeral marci
q to brigade headquarters started.
III ARRIVING at headquarters the Dat
e terry commander was the first to b,
q interviewed. This was behind clOse'
d doors. From the roaring and explC
9 sions Of Old Pepper 1t sounded as
g raw meat was being thrown to tn
n lions. Cassell, later, described 1t a
+ sounding like bombing raid. In abou
|. two minutes the officer reappearct
d The sweat vas pouring from his fore
d head, and his face was the color Of
d beet. He was speechless. AS u
n passed the captain he jerked his thum
e In the direction Of the lions den an