Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1918-04-25

"'ChHSeu nuu Uttu u tciekfuphct III
civil life and Joined up when war was
declared. AS for me. / knew Morse,
learned II at the sIgnalers school back
In 1910. With an officer In the obser-
walton post, we could not carry on the
kind OF conversation that's usual be
tween two mates. so we used the
Morse code. To send. one OF us would
tap the transmltter with his finger
nails. and the one on the other end
would get 1t through the receiver.
Many an hour was whlled away in this
manner passing compliments back and
forth.
''In the observation post the officer
used to sit for hours with powerful
pair Of field glasses TO his eyes.
Through a cleverly concealed loophole
he would scan the ground behind the
German trenches. looking for targets
and finding many. This officer, Cap
tain A by name. had habit OF
talking out loud to himself. Some
times he would vent his opinion same
as common private does when he's
wrought up. Once upon a time the
captain had been on Old Peppers staff,
so he could cuss and blind In the most
approved style. Got to be sort of a
habit with him.
"About six thousand yards from us,
behind the German lines, was road
in plain view of our post. For the last
three days Fritz had brought compa-
MES of troops down this road In bread
daylight. They were never shelled.
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 a range chart on
which distinctive landmarks are noted,
with the range for each. These land
marks are called targets, and are num-
bered. On our battery's chart, that
road was called Target IT, Range
60O0. 3 degrees 80 minutes left. d 23S
battery consisted of four AS howit-
zers. and fired 35-pound H. e. shell.
AS you know. II. e. means high ex-
ploslve.' don't like cumming up my
own battery. but we had a record In
the division for direct hits, and our
boys were just pining away for a
chance to exhibit their skill In the
eyes of Fritz.
ION the afternoon OF the fourth day
Of Fritz contemptuous use of the road
mentioned the captain and were at
our posts as usual. Fritz was strafe-
Ing us pretty rough. just like he's doing
now. The shells were playing leap
frog all through that orchard.
II was carrying on a conversation
in our tap code with Cassell at the
other end. 1t ran something like this:
assay, Cassell, how would you like
10 be in the saloon bar Of the Kings
Arms down Rye lane with bottle Of
Bass In front of you, and that blonde
)armaid waiting to fill 'em up againr
"Cassell had a fancy for that par
ocular blonde. The answer came back
n the shape of volley of cusses. l
hanged the subject.
"After while our talk veered
ound to the way the BOches had been
themselves on the road down
IN the chart as Target II. What he
aid about those Boches would never
AVE passed the reichstag, though l
relieve 1t would have gone through
ur censor easily enough.
"The bursting shells were making
uch din that l packed up talking
nd took to watching the captain. He
vas fdgeting around on an old sand
ag with the glass to his eye. Occa-
ionaIly he would let out grunt, and
make some remark l couldn't hear on
ccount of the noise, but guessed
that 1t was all right. Fritz was get
ing fresh again on that road.
"Cassell had been sending in the tap
ode to me, but l was fed up and
idn't bother with it. Then he sent
j. S., and / was all attention, for this
as a call used between US which
leant that something important was
4. was all ears in an instant. Then
asset turned loose.
"'You blankety blank dud, 1 have
zen trying to raise you for fifteen
inutes. What's the matter, are you
sleep? Gust as If anyone could
ave slept in that internal racket
ever mind framing Ii nasty answer.
Ist listen
"'Are you game for putting some
ing over on the Boches and Old Pep
n all in oneT
II answered that was game enough
hen 1t came to putting 1t over the
Dches, but confessed that / had a
aakening Of the spine, even at the
ention of Old Peppers name.
HE came back with, It's SO absurd
easy and simple that there Is no
ance of the old heather rumbling 1t.
AWAY, if we're caught, I'll take the
ame.'
"Under these condition told him to .
it out his scheme. 1t was so daring
ID simple that 1t took my breath
7ay. This is what he proposed:
''If the Boches should use that road
ain, to send by the tap system the