Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-05-22

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battery dugout to know that the road
was being used at that time by the
Germans. And also 1t was impossible
for him 20 give the target, range and
degrees. You know a battery chart Is
not passed around among the men like
newspaper from Blighty. From him
the investigation would go to the OBJ
servation post, and the observing Off
Ger could truthfully swear that had
not sent the message by phone, and
that no orders to fire had been issued
by him. The investigators would then
bs up In the air, we would be safe, the
Boches would receive a good bashing,
and we would get our own back on Old
Pepper. 1t was too good to be true.
I gleefully fell in with the scheme.
and told Cassell was his meat.
'sThen I waited with beating heart
and watched the captain like hawk.
"He was beginning to fldget 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. What's the use Of hav-
ing artillery II 1t is not allowed to fret
The government at home ought to be
hanged with some Of their red tape.
It's through them that we have no
shells
Il answered. Yes, SIR and started
sending this opinion over the wire to
Cassell, but the captain interrupted
me with:
"'Keep those Internal fingers still
What's the matter, getting the nerves?
When I'm talking to you, pay atten-
tion.'
my heart sank. Surprising 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 Did 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
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, I call 1t.
Oh, just for a chance to turn D 2S8
loose on Them
II was trembling with excitement.
From repeated stolen glances at the
captains range chart, that road with
it's range was burned into my mind.
"Over the wire I tapped, ID 23S bat
terry, Target II. Range 5000, 8 degrees
80 minutes, left, salvo, fire. Cassell
o. KID my message, and with the re-
ceiver pressed against my ear, I wait
ed and listened. In couple Of min
utes very family over the wire came
the voice Of our battery commander
Issuing the order: D 2S8 battery.
Salvol Fret
"Then roar through the receiver
as the four guns belched forth,
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
dn, and eagerly turned his glasses
in the direction of the German road.
/ 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 238.
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.
1.-THE captain, in his excitement, had
slipped off the sandbag, and was on
hts 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 big
round juicy cuss word would escape
from his lips followed by:
"'Good! Fine! Marvellous! 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 1t in your
life? Dn fine work, I call It,
"Pretty soon look Of wonder stole
over his face and he exclaimed:
"'But who in HI gave them the
order to fire. Range and everything
too. I know I didn't. Wilson,
did I give you any order for the bat
terry to open up? OF course I didn't,
did II
81 answered very emphatically, NO,
sir, you gave no command. Nothing
went through this post. I am abso-
lutely certain on that point, SIR
"'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. There'll be fur
flying
Just then Bombardier Cassell cut In
nm the wire.