The Arizona copper camp., 1918-07-13
A Gas > Helmet.

rcants fourywere selected.
was. highly, elated because was,
thought, in for cushy job back at the
base.
The next morning the four reported
to division headquarters for instruc.
tions. Two of the men were sent to
large towns In the rear Of the lines
with an easy job. When it came our
turn the officer told US we were good
meneand had passed q very creditable
examination.
My tin hat began to get too. small
for me, and noted that the other man,
Atwell by name, was sticking his chest
out more than usual.
The officer continued !: II think / can
use you two men to great advantage
in the front line. Here are your orders
and instructions, also the pass which
gives you full authority as special NJ.
P, detailed on intelligence work. Re.
port at the front line according to, your
instructions. 1t Is risky work and
wish you both the best of luck"
Ny heart dropped to zero and At.
wells face was a study. We saluted
and left.
That wishing us the "best of luck"
sounded very ominous In our ears; If
he had saids"I wish you both "a swift
and painless death" 1t would have been
more to. the point.
When, wei had Fread cur instructions
we knew we were nffor it good and
plenty.
What Atwell said is not at for pub.
licatien, but strongly seconded his
opinion of, the war, army and divisional
'head adquarters in general.
After bit our spirits rose. We were
.full-fedged spy-eatchers, because our
and orders, said, so.
We immediately reported to the
nearest French estaminet and had sew
eral glasses Of muddy water, which
they called beer. After drinking our
beer we left the .estaminet and hailed
an empty ambulance.
After showing the driver our passes
I'VE got In. The driver was going to the
part Of the line where. we had to re-
port.
How the wounded ever survived q
ride in chat ambulance was inexplica-
BILE to me. 1t was worse than riding on
o gun carriage over rock road. :
Atwell was a good companion and
very entertaining. He had an utter
contempt, for danger, but was, not fool
hardy. AT swearing he was a wonder.
A cavalry regiment would have been
proud of him. Though born in Eng
land, he had spent several years in
New York. He was about six feet one,
and as strong as an. OK.
We took up our quarters in a. large
dugeut of the royal engineers, and
mapped out eur future actions. This
dugout was on the edge Of a large
cemetery, and several times at night
in returning to it, we got many a. fall
stumbling oyer the graves of English,
French and Germans. Atwell on these
occasions never indulged in swearing,
though at any other time, at, the least
he would turn the air blue.
"A certain section of our trenches
was held by.th Royal Irish rifles. Fer
several days a very, strong -rumor went
the rounds that a German spy was in
our midst. This spy was supposed to
be dressed in the uniform of British
staff officer. Several stories had been
told about an officer wearing red
band around his cap, who patrolled the
and communication trenches
asking suspicious. questions. as to- loca-
ton of batteries machine-gun emplace-
ments, land trench mortars. = If shell
dropped in a battery, on machine gun
or even near dugout, this spy was
blamed.
The -rumer gained such strength. that
an order was issued for all troops to
Immediately place. under arrest anyone
answering to the description of the
spy.
Atwell and I were on the qui vive.
We constantly patrolled the trenches
at night, and even in the day, but the
spy always eluded us.
One day while in communication
trench, we were Mortified to see our
brigadier general, Old Pepper, being
brought down it by big private of the
Royal Irish rifles. The general was
walking inffront, and the private with
fixed bayonet was following in the
rear.
We saluted as the general passed us.
The Irishman thad broad grin on his
face and we could scarcely believe our
eyes-the general was under arrest.
After passing affewtfeet beyond us, the
general turned, and said in a wrathful
voice to Atwell:
"Tell this d-n fool who am. He's
arrested me as a spy"
Atwen was speechless. The sentry
butted in with:
'!"None o. that gassin' out o. you.
Back to headquarters you goes, Mr..
Fritz. Open that face O. yours again,
an I'll dent in your napper with the
butt O. me rifle,
The generals face was sight to be-
hold. He was fairly boiling over with
rage, but-he shut, t,up.
AtwelI tried AfO pnf sfn front of the