The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-05-02
GUNNER, jERNNGIN FRANCE
| @l9l7 eY
lAnIhAs tyY EnpfY

- B0ches are using that road
again. Blind my eyes, this time it is a
whole brigade of them, transports and
all. What a pretty target for our
los The beggars know that we
won't fire. A ID shame. I call it.
Oh, just for a chance to turn d 23S
loose on them
II was trembling with excitement.
From repeated stolen glsnces at the
captains range chart, that road with
its range was burned into my mind.
over the wire | tapped, ID 23s bat
terry, Target IL, Range 5000, 3 degrees
30 minutes, left, salvo, fire. Cassell
O. KID my message, and with the re-
ceiver pressed against my ear. | wait
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 23S battery.
Salvo! FireP
"Then a oar through the receiver
as the four guns belched forth, a
screaming and whistling o~gerhead. and
the shells were on thelr way.
1.-THE cartaie iunoued as If he were
hot. n &c. "a.~'t b. oxpre ,ivc
d-n, and eagerly turned his glasses
in the direction of the German road.
l also strained my eyes watching that
target. -Four black clouds of dust rose
up right in the middle of the German
column. Four direct hits-another
record for d 23S.
"The shells kept on whistling over
head, and l had counted t%wenty-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 guRs, 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 olsen
gagged hand. At every slap a big
round juicy cuss word would escape
from his lips followed by:
"'Good! Fine! Marvelousl Pretty
Work! Direct hits all
'"Then he turned to me and shouted
Wilson, what do you think of it?
Did you ever see the like of ii in your
life? D-n fine work, / call it.
pretty soon a look of wonder stole
over his face and he exclaimed:
"'But who in HI gave them the
order to fire. Range and everything
correct. too. l know I didn't. Wilson,
did l give you any order for the bat
terry to open up? OF course I didn't,
did I?
81 answered very emphatically, NO,
sir, you gave no command. Nothing
went through this post. l an abso-
lutely certain on that point, sir
"'Of course nothing went through
he replied. Then his face fell, and he
muttered u loud:
"But, by Jove, wait till Old Pep
per gets wind of this. ThereT be fur
flying
Juststhen Bombardier Cassell cut in
on the wire:
"'General's compliments to Captain
A.. He directs that officer and sig
mailer report at the double to brigade
headquarters as soon as relieved. Re-
lief now on the way
In an undertone to me, Keep a
brass front, Wilson, and for Gods
sake. stick I answered with, Rely on
me. mate but I was trembling all over.
'I gave the generals message to the
captain, and started packing up.
1.-THE relief arrived, and as we left
the post the captain said:
"'Now for the fireworks, and / know
they'll be good and plenty They WERE.
"When we arrived at the gun pits
the battery commander, the sergeant
major and Cassell were waiting for US.
We fell in line and the funeral march
to brigade headquarters started.
ARRIVING at headquarters the bat
terry commander was the first 10 be
interviewed. This was behind closed
doors. From the roaring and explo-
siOns of Old Pepper il sounded as if
raw meat was being thrown to the
lions. Cassell, later, described it as
sounding like a bombing raid. In about
two minutes the officer r~eappeared.
The sweat was pouring from his fore
head, and his face was the color of a
beet. He was speechless. AS he
passed the captain he jerked his thumb
IN the direction Of the lions den and
went out. Then the captain vent in,
and the lions were once again fed.
The captain stayed about twenty min
utes and came ont. l couldn't see his
face. but the droop In his shoulders
was enough. He looked like a wet hen.
'grhe door of the generals
opened and Old Pepper stood in the
doorway. With a roar he shouted:
"NYhich one of you is Cassell2
Ds me, get your heels together
when / speak, Come in herer