Gunnison news-champion., 1918-03-29


tap the trsnsmitter with his finger
nails. and the one on the other end
would get II through the receiver
Many an hour was whiled away In this
manner passing compliments back and
forth.
In the observation post the ofYieer
used TO sit for hours with q powerful
palr Of Geld glasses to his eyes
Through a cleverly concealed loophole
b. 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
o. ing out loud TO himself Some
times he would vent his opinion, same
n common private does when he's
wrought up. Once upon a time the
captain had been on Old Peppers stan.
81 D." could cuss and blind in the most
approved style. Got TO be sort OF u
habit with him.
About six thousand yards from US.
behind the German lines. was a road
~ plain view Of our post. For the Las.
three days Fritz had brought cornpa-
mics Of troops down this road In broad
delight They were never sheIled.
Whenever this happened the captain
would froth at the mouth and let out
volume OF Old Peppers religion
which used to make me love him.
Every battery has range chart ot.
which distinctive landmarks are noted.
with the runge for each. Thes. land
marks are called targets. and are num-
brr-d. On our battery's chart. that
ai was called Target II. Range
Gs-t ? degrees 30 minutes left u 23s
battery consisted of four ~ howit-
7rr-. and fired 35-pound H. T. shell.
~ sou know, II. Z. means high ex-
'~'re.' ! don't like bummIng up my
own battery. but We had record In
iu" division for direct hits. and our
bows were just pinlng away for a
chance to exhibit their skill in the
eyes Of Fritz.
on the afternoon Of the fourth day
NJ Fritz contenptuous use Of the road
mentioned the captain and | were at
nUr posts as usual. Fritz was strafe-
ing rs pretty rough. just like he's doing
frog all through that orchard.
Il was carrying on a conversation
in our tap code with Cassell at the
other end. II ran something like this !:
Say. Cassell, how would you Ike
To- he in the saloon bar of the King
Arms down Rye lane with bottle OF
Bass in front of you, and that blonde
hurmaId waiting to fill 'em up aGa.nf'
"CaSsell had fancy for that par
ticular blonde. The answer came back
IN the shape Of volley of cusses. !
changed the subject.
After while our talk vccr"d
round to the way the Boches had b, en
exposing themselves on the road down
on the chart as Target IL. What he
said about those Boches would never
have passed the reichstag. though ]
believe II would have gone through
our censor easily enough.
The bursting shells were making
such din that packed up talking
and took 10 watching the captain. lie
was fidgeiing around on an old sand
bag with the glass to his eve. Occa-
si0nally he would let out grunt. and
mike some remark ! couldn't hear on
account of the noise. but 1 guessed
what IT was all right. FriIz was get
ting fresh again on thnt road.
'Cassell had been sending in the tap
code to me, but / was fed up and
didn't bother with 1t. Then he sent
O. s., and was all attention, for this
was a call used between us which
on. ] was all ears in an instant. Then
Cassell turned loose.
"'You blankety blank dud. l have
been trying to raise you for fifteen
minutes. WHATS the marter. are you
asleepT (Just as If anyone could
have slept in that Internal racket y
Never mind framing a nasty answer.
Just listen
".Are you game for putting some
thing over on the Boches and Old Pep
per all In oneT
II answered that was game enough
when 1t came to putting 1t over the
Boches. but confessed that l had a
weakening of the spine. even at the
mention Of Old Peppers name.
He came back with. It's so absurd
y easy and simple that there is no
chance Of the old heathen rumbling It.
Anyway. II we're caught. I'll take the
blame
~Under these condition I told him to
spit out his scheme. II was 80 daring
and simple that 1t took my breath
away. This Ii what he proposed:
IF the Boches should use that road
again, to send BY the tap system the
target and range. had previously
told him about our captain talking out
loud - II be were sending through
eedefa. Well. II this happened, I was
b send the dope to Cassell and hs
would transmit 1t to the battery com.