Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-03-28

Darintuu waiting 10 HI EN- ND aSaln!
'Cassell had 4 fancy for that par
ticular blonde. The answer came back
in the shape of a volley of cusses. ]
changed the subject.
"After while our talk veered
round to the way the Boches had been
exposing themselves ON the road down
on the chart as Target II: What he
said about those Bocles would never
have passed the reichstag, though I
believe it would have gone through
our censor easily enough. :
1.-THE bursting shells were making
such IL din that I packed up talking
and took 10 watching The captain, lie
was tidgeting around on IN old sand
bag with the glass to his eye. 0cca-
sionally he would let out q grunf, and
make some remark couldn't hear on
account of the noise, hut ] guessed
what it was all right. Fritz was get
ting fresh again on that road.
"Cassell had been sending III the tap
code to me, but 1 was fed up and
didn't bother With ii. Then he sent
o. S.. and l was all attention, for this
was a call used between rs which
meant that something Important was
on. was all ears III an Instant, Then
Cassell turned loose.
"'You blankety blank dud, have
been trying to raise You for fifteen
minutes. What's the naauer. are You
asleepF (Just as if anyone could
have slept in that internal racketD
Never mind framing nasty answer.
Just listen (
care you game for putting some
thing over on the Bochcs and Old Pep
per all in one?
~ answered that was game enough
when it came to putting it OVER the
Boches, but confessed that L had Il
weakening of the spine even ut the
mention of Old Peppers name.
Gle came back with, IT'S so absurd
ly easy and simple chat there is no
chance of the old heathen rumbiing it.
Anyway, if we're caught III take the
blame.'
Under these condition j told him TO
spit out his scheme. it was SO daring
and simple that if took nay breath
AWAY. This is what he proposed:
"If the Boches should use that road
again. to send by the tap system the
target and range. ] had previously
tsld him about our captain talking out
loud us if he were sendiag through
orders. Well, if this hapnened, was
20 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
terry would open up. Aftelwaras dur
ing the investigation, Gaasell would
swear he received it direct They
would nave to relieve him, because it
was Impossible from his post in the
battery dugout to know Shat the road
was being used at that time by the
Germans. And also it WAS impossible
for him TO give the target range and
iegrces. You know q battery chart is
not passed around among the men like
a newspaper from BiightN. From him
The Investigation would 20 to the OBJ
servation post, and the observing Off
GER could truthfully swear that ! had
not sent the message bg 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 Il good baSfiagg,
and we would get cur own back ON Old
Pepper. 1t was Zoo eood 70 be true.
| gleefully fell in With the scheme,
and told Cassell [ was his meat'
"Thcn L waited with beating heart
I and watched the captain like a hawk.
Tie was beginning to fidget again
and was drumming ON the sanabags
with his feet. AT last, burning to me,
/ he said:
Wilson, this army is 4 blankety
jIbanl; washout. What's the use of bay-
ing artillery if it is not allowed To fire?
he government at home ought to be
hanged With some of their red tape
Its through them that we have no
i shells
. Il answered, Yes, sir and started
4 sending this opinion over the Wire to
Cassell, but the captain interrupted
me With:
! "Keep those internal fingers sin,
/ What's the matter getting tile nerves!
When I'm talking to you, pay atten-
ton
MY heart sank Surprising he had
rumbled that tapping, Then all would
be up with our plan. | stopped dram
| ming with my fingers and said:
"Beg your pardon, sir, Just a habit
with me-
"'And a ID silly one, TOO he an
swered, turning to his glasses again.
and knew I was safe. He had not
tumbled to the meaning OF that tap
ping.
CAN at once, without turning round
he exclaimed:
"Well, of ali the nerve I've ever run
across, this takes the cake. Those
- - Boches 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
4.5's.' Tie beggars know that We
won't fire. ~ id SHINE, ] call it
oh, just for a chance to turn D 23e
loose on them
Il was trembling with excitement
From repeated stolen glances at tbs
captains range chart that road witt
its range was burned into my mind.
4 over the wire ] tapped 70 23S bat
terry, Target II, Range GoGo 3 degrees
30 minutes, left, salxo, fire. Cassel