The Washington times., 1918-12-29

street Enough explosives planted to demosh half
dozen houses the neghborhood and the bricks
and stones with all the deadness of shrapne Both mines
linked with wires that they would explode stimuli
taneously and another wire from the basement
through the floor and concealed in the babys crib This
wire then attached by string to the grds of the
child The captain himself superlntended the tying of
this cord.
As he told of these iendish preparations the captain
explained with considerable satisfaction in his skill at
fOreseeng all possible circumstances. that he had left
enough slack in the string the squirmng of the de-
serted baby cramped in its crib would not tighten it
sufficiently to effect the electric contact at the end of
the wire and thus prematurey explode the mines But he
added his slack would be instantly taken up when
cung soldier lifted the child from the crib and stood erect
General der Wadau much interested in the
captains report of his unique trap He struck
by the originality of the dea but could not for moment
understand the captains supposition that it would be
successful 'The enemy engineers if they precede the
infantry will not be imposed upon they WILL of course
search thoroughly before interfering with the child if it
does, you suppose it WILL attract their attention. the
General said.
But do you not see sir" the captain replied "the
baby will cry and that will attract the attention of the
occupying troops And the first impulse of the enemy
soldiers will be to lift the child from its Grade Then
poufl-a half hundred of them will be blown
TO bits. They will not consider the village good
bargain"
"Perhaps-perhaps; but doubt it - was the Generals
comment.
just what had happened when the British soldiers swept
into the deserted village of Cagneourt and heard the
baby cries in Of the houses The officers themselves
had no way of knowing-they could only hope the cap
tain trap succeeded And then in Paris in of the
cafes where convaescen soldiers the guests of the
willing war service women heard what had happened
and it was just as the captain planned.
When the British soldiers discovered the enemy had
left Cagncourt they cautiously advanced and entered the
village. The streets deserted. Here and there an
abandoned German helmet lay in the centre of
street but the soldiers carefully avoided these souvenirs
Of the enemyknowng that under every carefully lOst"
helmet there probably uTked mine. Even a German
rifle left standing against house door, if its
had been too hurried to escape to take his with him.
was left untouched until engineers assured that
string leading to mine contact hidden that
II the rife were moved mine would explode
But when, turning the of little street. the
cries OF baby were heard these cautious soldiers
began hurriedy to seek out the abandoned little one The
cries were traced to the empty house Soldiers rushed
up the stairs while others gathered below curious
know what an advance contingent of the British army
pushing headlong in the wake Of rereating enemy was
going to do with motherless, salvaged baby
when the soldiers who had dashed up the stairs en-.
tered what had been the mothers bedroom they saw the
crib and the little hands that reached out hopeesy for
the mother that could not come The first soldier to