Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-13
USED HAND GRENADE
TO KILL SOME FISH
Scheme Worked Well Until U.
S. Soldier Asked for More
Grenades.
AMERICAN NOT Halter YET
BY HERBERT COREY.

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
THE FIELD. February 15.-The major
growIed-a humorous growl-all the
way across the muddy fields to the en-
trance of the trenches. We crawled
through what is euphemisucally known
as a gate" in a wide belt of barbed
wire We encountered-a gate being
place where a few strands of oarbed
wire have been replaced by a few of
the plain variety, and where spaces
have been left through which skinny
little men can work without having the
slack of their garments caught He said
that most American soldiers were
naturally intelligent, but now and then
he found one that had had his brains
fried
That's why were not having any fish
now, said he
In the valley through which our
trenches run are several very pleasant
little streams They are unpleasant lit
tie streams at this season, to be sure.
because they are TOO full of water, and
are apt to empty some of the surplus
into the trenches. But there are
stretches of clear brown water eViaeht-
ly intended by piscatorial providence
for the harboring of trout The men mad
been sneaking away from their
trenches during their hours off duty to
angle They were exposed TO occasional
light artillery shipping by the Germans,
but that did not bother them.
Fish Before Death.
They're getting to be regular SOL
diers" said the major with a grin.
They say that Jerry can't possibly
hit EN- the first time, and before ne
can fire again they can take cover.
of course. We don't let them do such
fool stunts-go chasing around in the
open for Germans to shoot at
But the men had the taste of fish
on their palates. Trout rise rather
sluggishly in France at this season. but
will occasionally tempt a lively young
ster from his nest under rock. There
were long-nosed fish, too-plckerel or
pike-which offered good battle TO
the fisherman and made tempting NOR
sells in frying pan. There were lone
trees along the ram bling little creeks
lust such gnarled and twisted WILLOWS
as one sees reflected at the elbows OF
hundreds of lonely little streams back
home-each with a tiny pool scooped
out at its roots. The men would sit
patiently behind their trees, shielded
alike from German snipers and from
American officers, and with a niue luck
the evening Chow" became feast
A compromise was arrived at. The
men were not allowed to do hook-a1d-
line angling, but some old soldier tod
them that a hand-grenade, thrown INTO
a pool at just the right moment Is
remarkably effective in filling frying
pans with fresh fish. 1t is not sport,
OF course. No one defends the prac-
tice but it is undeniably effective. For
a time the men Iuxuriated. Some pools
held heavy, tasteless, bony, German
carp but the grenade always accounted
for plenty of smaller and better fish.
The mist of evening was enriched by
the fragrance of sizzling trout along
the line OF trenches.
Then this corporal I'm thinking
of" said the major ran out of hand
grenades So he went to the colonel
and asked for some. Just like that
lust as bland and innocent and open
eyed as a child.