The Washington herald., 1918-02-23

usual between two mates, so we used
the Morse code. To send, one Of VS.
would tap the transmitter with his
finger nails. and the one on the other
end would get 1t through the receiver.
Many an hour was whiled away In
this manner passing compliments
back and forth.
I'm the observation post, the officer
used to sit for hours with a powerful
pair of field glasses to his eyes.
| Though a cleverly concealed loophole
he would scan the ground behind the
German trenches, looking for targets,
and find many. This officer. Captain
A by name, had a habit of talking
aloud to himself. Sometimes he would
vent his opinion, same as a common
private does when he's wrought up.
Once upon a time the captain had
been on Old Peppers staff, so he
could cuss and blind in the most ap-
proved style. Got TO be sort of a habit
with him.
About 5000 yards from us. behind
the German lines, was a road in
plain view of our post. For the last
three days Fritz had brought COM
panies of troops down. this road in
broad daylight. They were never
sheiied. Whenever this happened, the
, captain would froth at the mouth and
let out volume OF Old Peppers re-
ligion which used to make me love
him.
Every battery has a range chart
on which distinctive landmarks are
noted, with the range for each. These
landmarks are called targets and are
numbered. On our battery's chart,
that road was called Target Seven
teen. Range 600. three degrees. thirty
minutes left ID 238 Battery consisted
Of four As howitzers, and fired a
35-pound H. E. shell. As you know.
Fl. Z. means high explosive I don't
like bumming up my own battery, but
we had a 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's contemptuous use of the
road mentioned. the captain and 1
were at our posts as usual. Fritz was
strafing US pretty rough, Just like he's
doing now. The shells were playing
leapfrog all through that orchard.
Il was carrying on a conversation
in our tap code with Cassell at the
other end. 1t ran something like this:
Say, 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
blond barmaid waiting to fill 'em up
again.
"Cassell had fancy for that par
ticular blond. The answer came back
in the shape of a volley of cusses. l
| changed the subject.
after awhile our talk veered
round to the way the Boches had
been exposing themselves on the road
known on the chart as Target Seven
teen. What we said about those
Boches would never have passed the
Reichstag. though 1 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 fidgeting around on an old sand
bag with the glass to his eye. Occa-
sionally he would let out a grunt, and
make some remark couldn't hear on
account of the noise. but I guessed
what it was all right. Fritz was get
ting fresh on that road.
NdSSeu naQ Deen SenQlnB III lne
tap code to me, but was fed up
and didn't bother with it. Then he
sent o. s., and I was all attention, for
this was call used between US which
meant that something important was
on. was all ears in an instant. Then
Cassell turned loose.
"'You blankety blank dud, I have
been trying to raise you for fifteen
minutes. What's the matter, are you
asleep" Dust as il any one could
have slept in that Internal racketD
Never mind framing a nasty answer.
Just listen
Are you game for putting some
thing over on the Boches, and Old
Pepper all in one?
Il answered that I was game
enough when it came to putting it
over the Boches. but confessed that
had a weakening of the spine, even
at the mention of Old Peppers name.
He came back with, It's so alb
surdly easy and simple that there is
no chance Of the old heather rum
bling 1t. Anyway, IL we're caught,
I'll take the blame '
TO Be CONTINUED TOMORROW.