The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1918-05-23
CHAPTER xVI-Continued.

-12-
"Casscll had q fancy for that par
ticular blonde. The answer came back
In the shape Of Il vollcy of cuSseS. I
changed the subject.
after n while our talk veered
round to the way the BOchcs had been
exposing themselves on the road down
on the chart as Target II. What he
said about those Boches would never
have passed the rcichstag, though I
believe it would have gone through
our censor easily enough.
"The bursting shells were making
such q din that l packed up talking
md took to watching the captain. He
was fdgcting tTound on an old sand
bag with the glass to his eye. Occu+
sionally he would let out q grunt, and.
make some remark l couldn't hear on
account Of the noise, but I guessed
what 1t was all right. Fritz was get
ting fresh again on that road.
"Cassell had been sending in the tap
code to me-, but I was fed up and
didn't bother with it. Then he sent
0. S. and I was all attention, for this
was a call used between us which
meant that something important was
on I was all ears in an instant. Then
Cassell turned loose.
"You blankety blank dud, I have
been trying to raise YOU for fifteen
minutes. What's the matter, are you
asleep" Gust rs If anyone could
have slept in that Internal racket
Never mind framing q nasty answer.
Just listen
care you game for putting some
thing over on the Boches and Old Pep
per all in oncY'
II answered that I was game enough
when it came to putting it over the
Bochcs, but confessed hat 1 had n
weakening Of the spine, even Mt the
mention Of Old Peppers name.
"IIc came back with. It's SO absurd.
chance of the old heather rumbling 1t.
Anyway, If we're caught, I'll take the
blamc.'
"Undcr these condition l told him to
spit out his scheme. 1t was SO daring
ard simple that 1T took my breath
away. This is what he proposed:
IF the Boches should use that road
again, to scnd by the tap system the
target and range. I had previously
told him about our captain talking out
loud rs If he were sending through
orders. Well, If this happened, 1 was
to send the dope to Cassell and he
would transmit it to the battery com
mnndcr as officially coming through
the observation post. Then the bat
terry would open up. Afterwards. dur
ing the investigation, Cassell would
swear he received 1T direct. The,
would have to relieve him, because |
was impossible from his post In tn,
battery dugout to know that the rOat
was being used ut that time by thu
Germans. And also 1t was Impossible,
for him to give the target, range an
degrees. You know a battery chart |
not passed around among the men Xix
II newspaper from Blighty. From hin
the investigation would go to the oh
%servation post, and the observing Off
Ger could truthfully swear that I ha'
not sent the message by phone, an,
that no orders to fire had been issue,
by him. The Investigators would the,
be up in the air, we would be safe. tn
Boches would receive n good bashinf
and we would get our own back on Oh
Pepper. 1t was too good to be true
I gleefully fell in with the scheme
and told Cassell I was his meat.
"Then I waited with beating hear
and watched the captain like n hawl
HE was beginning to fdget agai
and was drumming on the sandbag
with his feet. At last, turning to m,
: he said:
"'Wilson, this army is n blanket
blank washout. What's the use Of ha,
J ing artillery If 1t Is not allowed to fire
The government at home ought to b
. hanged with some Of their red tap
: It's through them that we have n
4 shells
\ 81 answered, Yes, SIR and starte
sending this opinion over the wire t
asset, but the captain interruptc
lc with:
"fKeep those internal fingers still
WHAT'S the matter, getting the nerves