Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1918-04-03


about these orders, for even in the day
their transports and troops used to
expose themselves as If they were on
parade. This sure got up our nose,
sitting there day after day, with fine
targets in front of us but unable to
send over a shell. We heartily cussed
Old Pepper, his orders, the govern
ment, the people at home, and every
thing in general. But the Boches
didn't mind cussing, and got very care
less. Blime me, they were bally in
sulting. Used to, when using certain
road, throw their caps into the air as
a taunt at our helplessness.
"Cassell had been a telegrapher in
civil life and joined up when war was
declared. AS for me, I knew Morse
in 1910. With an officer in the Obser-
walton post, we could not carry on the
kind of conversation that's usual be-
tween two mates, so we used the
Morse code. To send, one of us would
tap the transmitter with his finger
nails, and the one on the other end
would get it through the receiver.
Many an hour was whiled away in this
manner passing compliments back and
forth.
''In the observation post the officer
used to sit for hours with a powerful
pair Of field glasses to his eyes.
Through cleverly concealed loophole
he would scan the ground behind the
German trenches, looking for targets
and finding many. This officer, Cap
tain A. by name, had a habit Of
talking out loud to himself. Some
times he would vent his opinion, same
as a common private does when he's
wrought up. Once upon time the
captain had been on Old Peppers staff,
so he could cuss and blind in the most
approved style. Got to be sort of
habit with him.
"About six thousand yards from us,
behind the German lines, was a road
in plain view of our post. For the last
three days Fritz had brought compa-
MES of troops down this road in broad
daylight. They were never shelled.
Whenever this happened the captain
would froth at the mouth and let out
a volume Of Old Peppers religion
which used to make me love him.
EVERY battery has range chart on
which distinctive landmarks are noted,
with the range for each. These land
marks are called targets, and are num-
bered. On our battery's chart, that
road was called Target II, Range
5000, 3 degrees 80 minutes left D 23S
battery consisted of four AS howit-
zers, and fired a 35-pound III. e. shell.
AS you know, 81. E. means high ex-
plosive.' I don't like cumming up my
own battery, but we had record in
the division for direct hits, and our
boys were just pining away for a
chance to exhibit their skill in the
eyes Of Fritz.
"On the afternoon of the fourth day
of Fritz cOntemptuous use of the road
mentioned the captain and I were at
our posts as usual. Fritz was strafe-
ing us pretty rough, just like he's doing
now. The shells were playing leap
frog all through that orchard.
II was carrying on a conversation
in our tap code with Cassell at the
other end. 1t ran something like this:
essay, Cassell, how would you like
to be in the saloon bar of the Kings
Arms down Rye lane with a bottle OF
Bass in front Of you, and that blonde
barmaid waiting to fill 'em up again?
"Cassell had a fancy for that par
ticular blonde. The answer came back
in the shape of 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 Boches would never
have passed the reichstag, though l
believe it would have gone through
our censor easily enough.
"The bursting shells were making
such a din that 1 packed up talking
and took to watching the captain. He
was fdgeting around on an old sand
bag with the glass to his eye. Occa-
sionally he would let out a grunt, and
make some remark 1 couldn't hear on
account of the noise, but I guessed
ting fresh again on that road.
"Cassell had been sending in the tap
code to me, but I was fed up and
didn't bother with it. Then he sent
0. S., and 1 was all attention, for this
was call used between US which
meant that something important was
on. l was all ears in an instant Then