The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-08-09
U.S.. NEGRO'S IDEA
BEATS THE TEUTS

his trench, he caught sight of one Of
the messengers, although they gener-
ally did their work at night. He de-
veloped respect and an admiration
for these dogs, and he could scarcely.
| choke down fight when sniper picks
ed off one of the animals. When one
of the dogs was brought in after a
German raid, Ike made up his mind
that he had to have one ofsthose dogs
to chase rabbits down in Georgia. /
don't believe he realized that he was
to have kennel of them.
1t was an evening in early spring.
when Ike was seated by the edge of a
deep French well on the outskirts of a
dilapidated little village, where he was
billeted during a rest period. He saw.
something leaping along the top Of a
hill a mile away. A second sight told
him it was fox, and then he forgot
| about it. The next night and the day
after Ike saw the fox, and then there
| flashed through his mind the remem-
brance that dog that chased rabbit
chased a fox when he got a, chance. To
| make this part of the story short, when
he went back to the trenches a few
days later Ike had the fox dead.
On the next two or three nights Ike.
volunteered regularly for patrol duty
in No Mans Land. The third night,
/ he got permission and took the dead
fox with him.
Gets Results at Last. 49,
On the. third night after he started
patrolling with his dead fox, he got re-
suits. But let the next part Of the
story be told by Ike's commanding Of
ficer. / wish / could mention his shame
but the censorship rules forbid.
at was along about o'clock in the
morning." this officer said, "just after.
one of our patrols had come in. / re-
member it was raining slightly. The
patrol reported it had encountered no
Germans and that things seemed rath-
er quiet. / was about to go away when
there was scrambling underneath
our wire and a German messenger dog
popped over the edge of the trench
and right into the arms of one of our
big buck priyates, named Davis. The
dog had message around his neck d.
rected to one Of the pill boxes, telling
the gunners there that American pa
trolls were out. took the message and
started to lead the dog away to have
my orderly take care of 1t when Ike
begged for it SO earnestly that told
him to watch it while got some sleep.
81 forgot all about the dog and was
thinking Of home and mother some
hours later when one of the lieuten-
ants reported that during the night six
other German dogs had come into our,
trench at about the same place, and
that Ike had been near enough to grab
each one of them. / went to look for
Davis and that darkey had those seven
dogs corralled in a ready-made dugout
as neat as you please and was feeding
them his own chow and all that he
could beg, borrow or steal I'm darned
if I can explain it, but know that IL
the gunners had got the instructions
those dogs carried all our patrols
wouldn't have come back.
Come on. I'll show you the cir
GUS"
He took me 200 yards away and as
we mounted little knoll saw a big
negro hastily completing the Job Of
covering up something he had buried
in a hole. He dropped the spade and
saluted as his officer came up.
Private Davis" said the officer.
"show the gentleman those dogs
"Here they is, suh," he answered,
and lifted heavy board. Down
through the opening were seven lanky
dogs, with powerful legs and long
noses.