The Mena weekly star., 1918-05-02

anu simple Thaf II took my breath away. This is what he proposed:
 If the Boehes should use that road again to send by the tap system the target and range. I had previously told him about our captain talking out loud as If he were sending through orders. We'll. if this happened. I was 10 send the dope to Cassell and he would transmit it to the battery com mander as officially coming through the observation post. Then the bat tery would open up. Afterwards, dur Ing the investigation, Cassell would swear he received it direct. They would have to relieve him, because 1t was impossible from his post in the battery dugout to know that the road was being used at that time by the Germans. And also 1t was impossible Tor him 10 give the target, range and degrees. You know battery chart is not passed around among the men like . newspaper from Blighty. From him the investigation would go to the ob- servation post and the observing off cer could truthfully swear that l had not sent the message by phone, and that no orders to fire had been issued by him. The investigators would then be up in the air, we would be safe. the Boches would receive a good bashing, and wa xVoufd ,of ,,,,. ,,,-,, I..l. o.. Tt. Pepper. It was too good to be true. l gleefully fell in with the scheme, and told Cassell was his meat. "rhen I waited with beating heart and watched the captain like a hawk
 He was beginning to fidget again and was drumming on the sandbags with his feet. At last, turning to me he said:
 Wilson, this army Is a blankety blank washout. Whats the use of hay. ing artillery if 1t is not allowed to firei The government at home ought to be hanged with some of their red tape It's through them that we have no shells.'
 q answered, Yes, sir and started sending this opinion over the wire to Cassell but the captain interrupted me with:
 Keep those internal fingers still Whats the matter. getting the nervesi When I'm talking to you, pay atten. | ton
 My heart sank Supposing he had rumbled that tapping, then all would be up with our plan. stopped drum. ming with my fingers and said:
 "Beg your pardon, sir just a habit with me-
 "'And a d-d silly one, too he an. ] swered, turning to his glasses again and I 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 a whole brigade of them, transports and all. What spretty target for our '4.5's.' The beggars know that we won't fire. A d--d shame, I call 1t Oh, just for chance to turn D 23s loose on them
 T was trembling with excitement From repeated stolen glances at the captains range chart, that road with its range was burned into my mind.
 lover the wire tapped. ID 23S bat tery, Target IT, Range 5000, degrees 30 minutes, left, salvo, fire Cassel o. K.'d my message, and with the re ceiver pressed against my ear, l wait ed and listened. In a couple of min utes very faintly over the wire came the voice of our battery commander issuing the order: ID 23S battery Salvol Firer
 ''Then roar through the receiver as the four guns belched forth, g screaming and whistling 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 1 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 I had counted twenty-foui 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.
 Continued in Next Tssue.)
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