The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1918-08-30


of France throws light upon the ma
ture of the American Negro as a sol
der, Its vividw picture of the life
and work of the colored men shows
him true to his natural character ev-
en- in the grim surroundings and deep
tasks Of war, while its accounts of his
yalor, favored, as it is, with his racial
good hunmor, must carry to all Amer
leans lesson in appreciation of the
Negro soldier. 1t will be printed in
three installments.-Edit
BY IRWIN COBB.
(Reprinted from the Saturday
EVENING Post Copyright, 1918, by
the Curtis Publishing Company
PART THREE.
AS we passed along we heard one
short and stumpy private with a
complexion like the bottom OF coal
mine and a smile like the sudden lift
ing of piano lid, call out to mate
as he fitted his creased rifle togeth-
er:
Henry Johnson, he done right
well, didn't he? But say, boy, effen
they'll jes gimme razor an arm
load OF bricks an one half pint of
bust-haid Ticker / kin go plum to Ber-
lin"
The most illuminating insight OF
all, though, into the strengthened
ambition that animated the rank and
file of those men was vouchsafed to
us as swe three, following along be-
hind the tall shape of the Colonel
rounded corner Of thhe trench and
became aware of a soldier who sal
back turned to us and was so deeply
cross-leggelo upon his knees with his
, intent upon the task in his hand thai
, he never needed our approach at all
, On silent signal from our guide we
? tiptoed nearer so that We could lOOl
, downward over the bent shoulders o
the unconscious one, and this theI
was what We saw: A small, square
, ly built individual thet color of {
!, bottle of good cider vinegar, wht
, balanced upon his knees slab O.
whitish stone-it looked like scral
think that is exactly what it was
and in his two hands, held by tht
handle, a bolo with nine incl
blade. First he would annoint the UP
permost surface of the white slal
! after the ordained fashion of thos
! who use whetstones, then indus
!, triously he would hone his blade. An,
all the while, under his breath, h
|, crooned a little wordless hummin
song which had in it some of the me
mace Of a wasp's petulant buzzine
t He was making war medicine.
It United States soldier whose remot
5, ancestors by preference fought han
g to hand with their jungle enemle
j. was qualifying to see Henry Johnso
and go him one better
s A Little Private Celebration.
o "Thev're all like that boy withth
l. bolo, and some of them are eve
e more So" said the Colonel after W
y had tramped back again to the dui
Is out in chalk cliff, which he ten
porarily occupied as sa combinatio
N parlor, boudoir, Office, breakfast roo
a and headquarters. We were a prett
green outfit when they brought l
over here. Why, even after we 81
over to France some of my boys use
10 write me letters rendering, the
le designations, to take, effect imm
te diately. They had come into Il
1t service of their own free villas vC
ly unteers in the National Guard
Id when they got tired of soldering, {
N few of them did at first, thl
d. couldn't understand why they
IT, shouldn't go out of their own fr,
I'd wills.
is They used us on construction wo
ne down near one Of the ports for
Sc while after we landed. Then he
a couple of weeks ago they sent
ne up to take over this sector. The M
IN are fond of saying that all they hi
MS by way of preparation for the j
Is was four days drilling and a ha
er cut.
ro Did | say just now that we we
green? Well, that doesn't half {
scribe it, let me tell you This sect
was calm enough, as front-line 81
tors go, when we took it over h
IN. the first night my fellows had hard
n had time enough to learn to find tht
od way about the trenches when frC
~ a forward rifle pit rocket of a c.
ra tain color went up, signifying: Y
81 are being attacked by tanks.
~ 1T gave me quite a shock, esp,
= !, tally as their had been no artille
~ preparation from F'ritzs side of t
= wire, and besides there is swar
"a between the lines right in front
y where that rifle pit is, so didn't
!. actly see how tanks were going
~ get across unless the Germans I
Ie ried them over in skiffs. So befc
~ calling out he regiment | dec,d
le- but before had time to start on
two more rockets went up from ;
81 other rifle pit at the left OF the fl
lis one, and, according to the code, the
ie- rockettss meant: Lift your barra
IT I'VE are about to attack in for
Up Since we hadn't been putting do
'u' any baIeage and there was no r.
as son for an attack and no order
one this gave me another shock
ne put out hotfoot to find out wi
ed was the matter.
~, Rookie Starts II.
Ia 1T seemed raw recruit in
as first pit had found box OF rookie
Just for curiosoty, ! suppose, or p