Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1918-06-13

"'Of course you don't know anything
about it. You're just like the rest
Ought to have nursing bottle around
your neck and a nipple in your teeth.
Soldiers-by CAD, you turn my stom-
ach to look at you. Win this war,
when England sends out such samples
as I have in my brigade! Not likely
Now, sir, tell me what you don't know
about this affair. Speak up, out with
it. Don't be gaping at me like a fish.
Spit 1t out
II stammered, Sir, know absolute
ly nothing
"'That's easy to see,' he roared;
that stupid face tells me that. Shut
up. Get out; but 1 think you are
id liar just the same. Back to
your battery
IT saluted and made my exit.
"That night the captain sent for rs.
With fear and trembling we went to
his dugout. He was alone. After sa-
luting we stood at attention in front
of him and waited. His say was short.
= "Don't you two ever get it into your
heads that Morse is dead language.
I've known it for years. The two of
you had better get rid of that nervous
habit of tapping transmitters; it's dan
gerous. That's ALL
eve saluted, and were just going out
the door of the dugout when the cap
tain called up back and said:
"'Smcke Goldfakes? Yes? Well,
there are two tins of them on my table
Go back to the battery, and keep ycu.
tongues between your teeth. Undee-
EtandT
"We understood.
"For five weeks afterwards our bat
terry did nothing but extra fattgnes.
We were satisfied and so were the
men. 1t was worth 1t to put one over
on Old Pepper, to say nothing OF the
injury caused to Fritz feelings"
When Wilson had finished his story
I looked up and the dugout was
damned. An artillery captain and two
officers had also entered and stayed
for the finish. Wilson spat out an
enormous quid of tobacco, looked up
saw the captain, and got as red as a
carnation. The captain smiled and
left. Wilson whispered to me:
"Blime me, Yank, see where click
for crucifixion. That captain is the
same one that chucked us Goldflakes
in his dugout and here I have beer
'chucking me weight about in his
hearing"
Wilson never clicked his crucifxion
Quite a contrast to Wilson was an.
other character in our brigade named
Scott; we called him "Old Scotty" on
account of his age. He was fifty-seven
although looking forty. "Old Scotty'
had been born in the Northwest and
had served IN the Northwest Mounted
police. He was typical cowpunchel
and Indian fighter and was dead shot
with the rifle, and took no pains to
disguise this fact from US. He used to
take care of his rife as If it were q
baby. In his spare moments you could
always see him cleaning 1t or polish
ing the stock. Woe betide the mar
who by mistake happened to get hole
of this rife; he soon found out hi
error. Scott was as deaf as a mule
and 1t was amusing at parade to watcl
him In the manual Of arms, slyly
glsncing out of the corner Of his eyt
at the man next to him to see wha
the order was, How he passed tn
doctor was mystery to US; he mus
have bluffed his way through, becaus
he certainly was Independent. Besid
him the Fourth Of July looked lik
Good Friday. He wore at the time
large sombrero, had a Mexican stool
saddle over his shoulder, a lariat OF
his arm, and a 'forty-five" hangin
from his hip. Dumping this parapher
MALTA on the floor he went up to tn
recruiting officer and shouted: "Tr
from America, west Of the Rockies
and want to join your id army
I've got no use for German and ca
shoot some. At Scotland Yard the
turned me down; said I was deaf an
so am. I don't banker to ship in wit
q ID underwriting outfit, but tn
cavalry's full, so I guess this reg
ment's better than none, so trot on
your papers and I'll sign 'em." He tol
them he was forty and slipped by.
!, was on recruiting service at the tim
he applied for enlistment.
: 1t was Old Scotty's great ambitio
: to be sniper or ''body snatcher," O
Mr.. Atkins calls 1t. The day that h
was detailed as brigade sniper he eel
: brated his appointment by blowing ii
!. whole platoon to flags.
Being Yank, Old Scotty took III
\ ing to me and used to spin some gre.
yarns about the plains, and the who
platoon would drink these in and as
for more. Ananias was rookie cor
pared with him.
!. The ex-plainsruan and discipliI
y could not agree, but the officers o
: liked him, even II he was hard to ma
{ age, SO when he was detailed as
2 sniper a sigh Of relief went up fro
9 the. oficerssmess.