Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1918-04-25
OVID TIT TOP
81
AN AMERICAN SOLDIER
WHO WENT 3
ARII1Ul GUY TNpEY
| @iH7 pY I
lARIhuS GUY EnPfYl
MACHINE GIINhEp SERVING M FRANCE

opened and Old Pepper stood in tn,
doorway. With roar he shouted:
Which one of you is Cassell'
D-n me, get your heels together
when / speak Come in herer
"Cassel started to say, Yes SIR
but Old Pepper roared, Shut up !
"Cassell came out in five minutes
He said nothing, but as he passed me
he put his tongue into his cheek and
winked, then, turning to the closed
door, he stuck his thumb to his nose
and left.
"Then the sergeant majors turn
came. BE didn't come out our way
Judging by the roaring, Old Pepper
must have eaten him.
"When the door opened and the gen.
eral beckoned to me, my knees started
to play Home, Sweet Home against
each other.
my interview was very short.
"Old Pepper glared at me when !
entered and then let loose.
"'Of course you don't know anything
about it. You're just like the rest
Ought to have nursing bottle around
your neck and nipple in your teeth.
Soldiers-by CAD, you turn my stOm-
ach to look at you. Win this war,
when England sends out such samples
as I have in my brigade Not likely
Now, sir, tell me what you don't know
about this affair Speak up, out with
1t. Don't be gaping at me like a fish.
Spit it out
81 stammered, Sir, know absolute
ly nothing
"'That's easy to see, he roared;
that stupid face tells me that. Shut
up. Get out; but 1 think you are a
id liar 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-
lutlng we stood at attention in front
of him and waited. His say was short.
Don't you two ever get 1t into your
heads that Morse is a dead language.
I've known it for years. The two of
you had better get rid of that nervous
habit of tapOing transmitters; it's dan
gerous. That's ALL
"We saluted, and were just going out
the door of the dugout when the cap
rain called up back and said:
"'Smoke Goldfakes? 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
eve understood.
For five weeks afterwards our bat
.ery did nothing but extra fatigues.
We were satisfied and so were the
men. 1t was worth 1t to put one over
IN Old Pepper. to say nothing of the
injury caused to Fritz feelings"
When Wilson had finished his story
looked up and the dugOut was
ahmed. An artillery captain and two
,fficers had also entered and stayed
or the finish. Wilson spat out an
quid Of tobacco, looked up
aw the captain, and got as red as
The captain smiled and
eft. Wilson whispered to me:
"Blime me, Yank, I see where click
or crucifxion. That captain is the
anne one that chucked us GOldfakes
n his dugout and here l have been
,hucking me weight about in his
earring"
Wilson never clicked his crucifixion.
Quite a contrast to Wilson was an
Their character in our brigade named
colt; we called him "Old ScOtty' on
ccount of his age He was fifty-seven,
Though looking forty. "Old Scotty
ad been born in the Northwest and
ad served in the Northwest Mounted
olice. He was a typical cowpuncher
nd Indian fighter and was dead shot
18th the rifle, and took no pains to
lsguise this fact from us. He used TO
Ike care of his rifle as if it were a
ably. In his spare moments you could
ways see him cleaning it or polish
lg the stock. Woe betide the man
no by mistake happened to get nolu
{ this rife; he soon found out MS
-ror. Scott was as deaf as a mule,
nd II was amusing at parade to watcn
I'M In the manual of arms, slyly
ancing out of the corner of his eye
. the man next to him to see what
lie order was. How he passed the
1ctor was a mystery TO us; he must
ave bluffed his way through, because
: certainly was Independent. Beside
M the Fourth of July looked ike
God Friday. He wore at the time
rye sombrero, had Mexican STOCK
ddle over his shoulder, a lariat on
s arm. and 'forty-five" hanging [
ON his hip. Dumping this parapher-
lila on the floor he went up to the
cruiting officer and shouted I'm '
ON America, west of the Rockies l
I'd want to Join your ID army t
ye got no use for a German ana can
oot some. At Scotland Yard they r
rned me down; said l was dear anu t
I am. don't banker to ship In Win L