Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1918-06-07

tNtn NlntIs
"My interview was very short.
"Old Pepper glared ut me when
entered, and then let loose.
"'Of course YOU don't know anything
about 1t. You're Just like the rest
Ought to have a nursing bottle around
your neck and nipple in your teeth.
! Soldicrs--by CAD. YOU turn my stom.
ach to look ut you. Win this war,
when England sends out such samples
as l have in my brigade! Not likely |!
| Now, sir tell NE what you don't know
about this affair. Speak up. out with
1t. Don't be gaping at me like fish.
Spit II out
81 stamm@ed. sir, know absolute
| ly nothing
THAT'S easy to see. he roared ;
that stupid face tells me that. Shut
up. Get out; but think you are a
Did liay just the same. Back to
your battery
81 saluted and made my exit.
"That night the captain sent for us.
With fear and trembling we went to
his dugout. He was alone. After sa-
luting we stood mt attention in front
of him and waited. His say was short.
"'Dont you two ever get IL into your
heads that Morse is dead language.
| I've known II for years. The two of
you had better get rid of that nervous
habit of tapping trausmitters; 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:
"'Smoke Goldhakes2 Yes? Well,
there are two tins of them ON my table.
Go back TO the battery, and keep your
tongues between your teeth Under
standT
"We understood.
"For five weeks afterwards our bat
terry did nothing but extra fatigues.
We were satisfied and SO were the
men. 1t was worth IL to put one over
on Old Pepper, to say nothing of the
injury caused to Fritz feelings"
When Wilson had finished his story
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 Il
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 cbucked us Goldnakes
in his dugout and here have been
'chucking me weight about In his
hearing"
| Wilson never clicked his crucifixion.
Quite contrast to Wilson was an
other character I'm our brigade named
Scott; we called him "Old Scotty" on
account of his age. He was fifty-seven,
although looking forty. sold Scotty"
had been born In the Northwest and
had served in the Northwest Mounted
police. He was a typical cowpuucher
and Indian fighter and was dead shot
| with the rife, and took no pains to
disguise this fact from u.s. He used to
take care of his rifle as If il were n
baby. In his spare moments you could
always see him cleaning II or polish
ing the stock. Woe betide the man
who by mistake happened TO get hold
of this rifle; he soon found out his
error. Scott was as deaf as mule
and II was amusing at parade to watch
him In the maIpaf of arms. slyly
glancing out of the corner of his eye
Mt the man next to him to see what
the order was. How he passed the
doctor was mystery to us; he must
have bluffed his way through, because
he certainly was independent. Beside
him the Fourth of July looked like
Good Friday. He wore at the time II
large somhrero, had a Mexican stock
saddle over his shoulder, lariat on
his arm, and a 'forty-five" hanging
from his hip. Dumping this parnpher-
MALTA on the floor he went up to the
recruiting officer and shouted: "I'm
from America, west of the Rockies,
and want to join your Id army.
I've got no use for German and can
shoot some. At Scotland Yard they
turned me down; said / was deaf and
so am. don't banker to ship in with
ID underwriting outfit but the
cavalry's full, so | guess this rcgi-
ments better than none, so trot out
your papers and I'll sign EN-" He told
them he was forty and slipped by. |
was on recruiting service ut the time
lie applied For enlistment.
1t was Old Scotty's great ambition
10 be n snlpcr or "body snatchcr," us
Mr.. Atkins calls It, The day that he
was detailed ms brigade snipcr he ccle-
hrutcd his appointment by blowing the
Whole platoon 10 flags.
Being lank, Old Scotty took II lil,-
Ing 20 me ana used to suln some great
yarns about the plains, and the whole
platoon would drink these in and ask
Tor more. Ananias was rookie com.
pared with him.
The eX-plainSman ana discipline
could not agree, hut the officers all
llked him, even If he was hard Ia man
nge, so when ne was detailed ms a
sniper II Sigh Of relief went NJ from
the officers mess.
Old Scotty had the freedom Of the
brigade, He used TO draw two or
three days rutions and disappear with
al.