Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-15
AMERICANS EAGER
FOR SHOT AT HUNS
Long Waits Between Cause
the Men to Chafe and Be-
come Restless.
ARE CALM IN TRENCHES
BY HERBERT COREY.

| THE FIELD, February 16.-The major
and the captain began to talk techni-
| calities. The captain said his men
| We're tired of just standing by and not
doing any shooting. They saw Huns
every now and then. A cropped Ger
man head sometimes popped up over
parapet or a single man could be
| seen walking along some road at an
impossible distance. The Hun sniped
rau the time. That was the way he
got his casualty. That is the way l
got my casualty" the captain said,
when a careless soldier forgot to duck
his head when he came to low place
in the parapet
Right through the head" the cap
tain continued. AT the bridge of the
nose Hell he blind. l guess, but ne
will live"
The major had spotted Hun ma
chine gun the night before. The gun
ner was n daring sort. for he had
moved out into mo mans land at
night and turned his gun loose at com
paratively close range. But nor
powerful intellect, one would Judge
for he had gone to the same place
four nights hand running. The major
of this intruding gun by day. having
taken cross-sights on 1t from various
places among the line when the cluck-
ing fire opened the night before He
| thought he had it located.
Ahstruse details followed. 1t appear
ed that the gun had been hidden well.
but that the gunner might be reached
by fire directed from such and such
point. The captain listened eager
~. 1 don't like the word "eager' as
a rule 1t seems to convey Sugges-
ton of instability and lack of polse,
but this man was eager as season
ed hunter is in sight of game He
said he thought he'd get the hidden
gunner tonight He had a boy on his
machine gun that is a wonder.
But He Drank.
He amt worth a damn In town"
said the captain. breaking rule OF
grammar and rule of the Army CO.
incidentally. Likes to fight booze.
Only one in my company that does,
too The rest of EN- could go dry from
now until Hades' third alarm and never
think of the stun. But he certainly
does like to hit it up Fights, too. and
| is apt to be surly. But he's the bright
eyed bird when he gets out here. He's
| worth a dozen men. He's so cool he's
| frozen: and buchanan, he's like a
| trap shot with that It'll ole gun OF
| his"
How do you mean quick" asked the
major.
| ''This away" said the captain. "Other
night he was standing by when he saw
| a movement out in the darkness. Did
| he get musty in the noodle and wake
| a whole blame company by shooting up
| no mans land? Not on your oil por
| trait. He just sat there by his gun,
| watching this black shadow come
Iir,,r 1i<rh
might have been a deserter, you know
and we want deserters-or it might
have been some Hun who figured on
cutting his throat or it might have
been the advance guard of a bunch of
bombers. He just sat there and waited.
All at once that thing out in the dark
ness. without utterlng sound, hurled
itself at him"
He just turned few shots into it as
it jumped said the captain. only
two or three, but the thing fell dead
right at the muzzle of his gun. 1t was
a great black dog. and it was cut open
from stem to stern by this boys bull
lets. Some gunner"
Some gunner" said the major. Tell
him you want him to get this boche
tonight
Cool in Front Trenches.
I could not get the thought of the
mind: Other men passed from time
to time. All were fine, clean, up
standing Americans, of the sort that
you would like to take home for din
with that gravity of men who have
seen for the first time comrade
wounded. but they were not de-
pressed One of them, working away
IN bend OF the trench at some hid
den task, was whistling softly to him
self. Two others were talking home
state politics. Not one seemed per
turbed by. his position in the front
line trench. They were straight and
self-respecting and manly.
How did this boy who was hurt
take it?" I asked.
An right" said his captain. ct
bearer as they carried him out. He
was telling them to take it easy and
rest as much as they liked.
TIN sorry I'm SO heavy said he,
apologetically. This thing doesn't hurt
very much. I think l can walk ont
if one of you will just steer me around
the turns"
Another youngster I had seen that
morning was walking along the road
whistling. His right arm was in a
sling.
"Bad?" I asked.
Nope. said he. Just in and out.
Be back in week.
Next One Southern Man.
The major said the next captain we
We're to visit was a southern man. He
commented on the number of southern
men in the first batch to get over here
He chad good many friends in the
south. he said. and it seemed to him
that every one of them had relative
or close friend in the first army. Not
that they were any better fighting men
than the northerners-"all ( same
breed of cats"-but more irnpulsive.
perhaps. The man from the north was
apt to figure his proposition down a
little closer The southern men liked
to rush things. He had to hold them
back.
"Hey. Porterfield," he called at the
mouth of deep dugout.
I'm comm. was the reply from an
Enthusiastically southern voice. The ton
of head appeared at the foot of the
ladder, which led into the weli-like
home of these front line men By and
by Porterfield appeared-"a link a.
time"Ethe major said. His head was
covered by tin hat and he wore a
heavy sweater on the shoulders Of
which the two bars of a captain were
pinned. He wanted US to STAY to din
ner. He only had corned beef and snI1ds