Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1918-06-29

OHSSciI UdU IHuCy lOT tiiht par
ticuiar blonde. The answer came back
In the shape Of a volley of cusses. ]
changed the subject.
"After a while our talk veered
round to the way the Boches 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 reichstag, though
believe 1t would have gone through
our censor easily enough.
1.-THE bursting shells were making
such din that / packed up talking
and took to watching the~captain. He
was fidgeting around on an old sand
bag with the glass to his eye. Occa-
sionally he would let out grunt, and
make some remark I couldn't hear on
account of the noise, but l guessed
what it was all right. Fritz was get
ting fresh again on that road.
"Cassell had been sending in the tap
code to me, but was fed up and
didn't bother with 1t. Then he sent
o. S., and / was all attention, for this
was q call used between us which
meant that something important was
on. was all ears in an instant. Then
Cassell turned loose.
"'You blankety blank dud, / have
been trying to raise you for fifteen
minutes. What's the matter, are you
asleepT Dust as If anyone could
have slept in that internal racket y
Never mind framing nasty answer.
Just listen
care you game for putting some
thing over on the Boches and Old Pep
per all in oneT
II answered that I was game enough
when 1t came to putting 1t over the
Boches, but confessed that / had a
weakening of the spine, even at the
mention of Old Peppers name.
"He came back with, It's so absurd
ly easy and simple that there is no
chance of the old heather rumbling 1t.
Anyway, If we're caught, I'll take the
blame
"Under these condition I told him to
spit out his scheme. 1t was so daring
and simple that 1t took my breath
away. This is what he proposed:
IF the Boches should use that road
again, to send by the tap system the
target and range. / had previously
told him about our captain talking out
loud as IL he were sending through
orders. Well, If this happened, I was
to send the dope to Cassell and he
would transmit 1t to the battery com
mander 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. They
would have to relieve him, because II
WAS impossible from his post In the
battery dugout to know that the road
was being used at that time by the
Germans. And also 1t was impossible
for him to give the target, range and
1egrees. You know q battery chart is
sot passed around among the men like
4 newspaper from Blighty. From him
he investigation would go to the OBJ
jervation post, and the observing Off
.er could truthfully swear that I had
rot sent the message by phone, and
hat no orders to fire had been issued
~ him. The investigators would then
oe up In the air, we would be safe, the
Boches would receive a good bashing,
md we would get our own back on Old
Pepper. 1t was too good to be true.
/. gleefully fell in with the scheme,
md told Cassell was his meat.
"Then l waited with beating heart
ind watched the captain like hawk.
HE was beginning to fidget again
and was drumming on the sandbags
With his feet. At last, turning to me,
he said:
Wilson, this army is a blankety
blank washout. What's the use of hav-
ng artillery If 1t is not allowed to fire? |
The government at home ought to be |
hanged with some Of their red tape.
Et's through them that we have no
sbelfs.'
Il answered, Yes, SIR anu .tarted |
lending this opinion over the wire to
Jasse'l. but the captain interrupted |
az with:
keep those Internal fingers still.
CHATS the matter, getting the nerves? |