Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1918-05-17

sThe relief arrived. and as we left
the post the captain said:
"'Now for the fireworks, and l know
they'll be good and plenty They were.
"When we arrived at the gun pits
the battery commander, the sergeant
major and Cassell we're waiting for us.
We fell In line and the funeral murch
to brigade headquarters started.
ARRIVING at headquarters the bat
terry commander was the first TO be
interviewed. This was behind closed
doors. From the roaring Md explo-
siOns of Old Pepper It sounded as IL
raw meat was being thrown TO the
lions. Cassell, later, described It ms
sounding like a bombing raid. In about
two minutes the officer r~eappeared.
The sweat was pouring from his fore
head, and his face was the color OF a
beet. He was %speechlcss. AS he
passed the captain he jerked his thumb
In the direction OF the lions den and
went out. Then the captain went IN,
and the lions were once again fed.
The captain stayed about twenty min.
utes and came out. 1 couldn't see his
face, but the drOOp in his shoulders
was enough. He looked Ike a wet hen.
"The door OF the generals room
opened and Old Pepper stood in the
doorway. With a roar he shouted:
(which one Of you is Cassell7
On me, get your heels together
when l speak Come in herer
"Cassell started to say, Yes sir
"But OLD Pepper roared. Shut upr
"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. He 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 l
entered, and then let loose.
"'Of course you don't know anything
about 1t. You're just like the rest
Ought to have n nursing bottle around
your neck and a 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 l have in my brigade! Not likely J
Now, sir, tell me what you don't know
about this affair. Speak up, out with
It. Don't be gaping at me like a fish.
Spit 1t out
81 stammered, Sir, l 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-
luting we stood at attention in front
of him and waited. His say was short.
"'Don't you two eve get it into your
heads that Morse is a dead language.
I've known 1t for years. The two of
you had better get rid of that nervous
habit of tapping transmitters it's dan
gerous. That's ALL
1--WE saluted, and were just going out
the door Of the dugout when the cap
tain 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
stand?'
"We understood.
"FOr five weeks afterwards our bat
terry did nothing but extra fatigues,
We were satisfied and so were the
men. II was worth It to put one over
on Old Pepper, to say nothing of the
injury caused to Fritz feelings.T
When Wilson had finished his story
l looked up and the dugout was
damned. An artillery captain and two
officers had also entered and stayed
for the finish. Wilson spat out an
enormous quld of tobacco. looked up,
saw the captain, and got as red as a
carnation. The captain smiled and
left. Wilson whispered to me:
"Blime me, Yank, l see where l click
for crucifixlOR. That captain is the
same n that chucked us GOldhakes
In his dugout and here 1 have been
'chucking me weight about In his
hearing"
Wilson never clicked his ~cruclhxlon.