Oxford eagle., 1918-05-23

tery. or lance corporal. as you cal n
In the infantry. used TO relieve the
telephonists We would do two hours
on and -four on ! would be on duty
In the advanced observation post.
while he would he af the other end Of
the wire In the battery dugoui signal
ing station We were supposed 10 send
through orders for the battery 10 fire
when ordered 10 do 80 by the observn-
don ofhcer In the advanced post But
very few messages were sent. II was
only In case Of an actual attack that
We would get q chance 10 earn cur
Two and six q DAY You see. Old Pep
per had issued orders not 10 FIRE ex-
ceI'f when the orders came from him.
And with Old Pepper orders is orders.
and made 10 obey.
The Germans must have known
about these orders. for even In the dnv
their transports and troops used 10
expose themselves as II they were on
parade This sure got up our nose.
sitting there day after day. with fne
tsrgets In front Of Us bui unable 10
send over o shell. We heartily cussed
Old Pepper. his orders. the govern
ment. the people st home. and every
thing In general But the Boches
didnt mind cussing. and got very care
iess- Bltme me. they were baily In
sulrfng- Used 10. when using a certain
road. throw their caps into the air a.
o teunf NJ our helplesEness.
''Oanen had been q telegrapher In
civfl life and Joined up when war was
declared. As for me. ! knew Morse
learned II af the signalers' school hsck
In 1910. With an officer IN the os,ser.
walton post. we could not carry on the
kind Of conversation thsfs usual be
tween two mates. so we used fhs
Morse code To send. one Of US woulo
tap the trnnsmitter with his finEer
malta and the one On the other enc
would get II through the receiver
Many an hour WIS whfled away IN this
manner passing compliments back snd
forfh-
In the observation post the Once,
used 20 nit for hours with q powerful
pair Of neld glasses 10 his eyes
Through q cleverly concealed loophols
he would scan the ground behind the
German trenches looking for tarrets
and nndtng many. This oficer. Can
tain A. by name. had a habit q,
talking out loud 10 himself some.
nmes he would vent his opinion. same
- q common private does when he's
wrought up- Once upon a time the
captain had been On Old Peppers staff
% he could cuss and blind in the mos
approved style. Got to be sort az /,
habit with him.
About ak thousand yards from us
behind ths German lines. WINS a road
U plain view Of our post. For the las-
urss DAYS Fritz had brought comma
MES of troops down this road in hrond
oayhght They were never sheIlad
Whenever this happened the capts,r
would froth NJ the mouth and LET orr
volume OF Old PEPPERS ral,v,on
~nlcn used 10 make me love him.
Every battery has a range chart or
wnicn distinctive landmarks are no,aa
VAN ne range for each These land.
MARKS are called targets. and are nun
osreo On our harrery's chart that
roeo was called Target IT Rsnrs
ooo. . degrees 30 minutes left d 2ss
battery consisted Of four as howtt.
ssrs. and fired S5-pound H. r. shen
- you know. e. 4. means nigh er-
plosiss- don't ike bumming up INV
own battery. but we had a record IN
me division for direct hits. and our
BOYS we're Just pining away for a
>1naf shsGr skm a sAs