The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-03-05
SIGNAL CORPS
At WORK UNDER
DIFFICULTIES
(From Reciprocal News Service,
IS, Queen Annes' Gate, London }

F
IS, Queen Annes' Gate, London
Somewhere in France - (By
MaiD-The valley was full of sol
diers, scattered about, standing or
sitting, in little groups. The OBJ
server and his attendant signaller
coming upon them from the hill to
the west, guessed that they would
soon be moving on eastward, and
sat down, too. They had no wire
with them, only a couple of flags,
so that communication was likely
to be difficult, but the advance OF
the previous day had been SO rapid
and so. considerable that the stores
at the observation post which their
group had been using for weeks
had sufficed only for one forward
extension, leaving barely enough
wire to carry to the bottom of the
next dip, from which nothing at
all was ever likely to be visible. SO
the observer, who had taken over
early that morning from an officer
Of another battery in his group, had
to leave two of his signallers at the
forward post, as we'll as one at a
tapping-in station a mile further
back, and go on with his remaining
man, relying on visual signalling.
The first enemy trench system
was already left behind, and the in
fantry were we'll out in the open
Over night they had got to the
foot of a ridge which ran from the
river to the main road on which
the enemy still kept a grip some
three miles behind their original
line. Now the first attacking wfve
had gone forward over that brow
in front, and these troops dotted
about the valley were waiting i'll
support.
The observer had barely sat down
before an officer a little way cfi
blew a whistle, and presently all
the little parties of infantry started
off up the hill. The observer and
the signallcr followed. There was
practically no artillery fire going or
on either side, but as they aScendeC
the slope they could hear the chat
ter of machine guns in front Of
them. Presently the leading parties
began to incline a little to theil
right and disappear over the crest
and at the same time, other li'tl(
parties, smaller and more closely
grouped, began to trickle over il
the opposite direction. AS they
came nearer the observer could see
that they were stretcher bearers
with thir burdens of wounded, anC
one or two walking cases limp,ng
along beside them. One such part,
passed close to the observer. TIL,
casually was sergeant; he lay yer,
still, but his eyes were wide oper
and fixed, and below the blanke
that covered him he was wagging
his foot very quickly to and fro. II,
noticed the officer as he went by
and made signal to his bearers tC
stop. The observer went to him.
"Are things going all right, sir ?
said the man, in husky, cage
voice.
Going fine" said the observer
in the most cheerful tones he coult
command. Your men have don,
splendidly."
He didn't know in the least wha
was going on, nor what the man
regiment was, but he lied manfull,
and ungrudgingly, and he had hi
reward in the smile Of satisfaction
that came to the scrgeant's face.
Garry on, lads" the sergean
said, in a weak, but clearer tone
and he was borne away; a tru
kinsman of the dauntless Wolfe.
Presently the observer in turl
reached the crest and he slippe,
into a convenient shell hole t.
study the lie of the land. In from
of him stretched the forward slop
of the ridge, a very easy gradient
Beyond that the ground rose agail
eliminating in a line OF trees. Their
were other trees family visible il
the background, but the haze mad
it hard to distinguish them clearly
and far away to the left a CLINT 0
filmy light fell on the factory chin
neys and roofs of town. But JUS
across the valley almost directly il
front Of him, lay a village crown
ing the highest knoll of any, vii
lage not yet battered by artillery
and skirted like all the villages o
those parts with orchards.
The infantry ;ne+aod of oo;r,