The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1918-05-16

"Wha l am going to tell you is how
two of us put 1t over on the old scamp,
and got away with it. 1t was a risky
thing too, because Old Pepper wouldn't
have been exactly mild with us if he
had got next to the game.
Me and my mate, a lad named Hnr-
ry Cassell. n bombardier in d 238 bat.
terry, or lance corporal, as you call 1t
In the infantry, used to relieve the
tclephonists. We would do two hours
on and four off. I would be on outy
IN the advanced observation post,
while he would be at the other end Of
the wire In the battery dugout signal
ing station. We were supposed to send
'nrough order for the battery to fire
when ordered to do so by the observa-
ton oftice in the advanced post. But
very few messages were sent. It was
only In case of an actual attack that
we would get a chance to earn our
and Six n day. You see, Old Pep
per a issued orders not to fire ex.
cept when the orders came from him.
And with Old Pepper orders is orders,
and made to obey.
"Ihe Germans must have known
about these orders, for even in the day
their transports and troops used to
expose themselves as If they were on
parade. This sure got up our nose,
sitting there day after day, with fine
targets in front of us but unable to
send over a shell. We heartily cussed
Old Pepper, his orders, the govern
ment, the people at home, and every
thing In general. But the Boches
didn't mind GUESSING, and got very care
less. Blime me, they were bnlly In.
sultfng. Used to, when using n certain
iun3. throw their caps into the air 40
a taunt Mt our helplessness.
"Cassell had been a telegrapher in
civil life and Joined up when war was
declared. AS for me, I knew Morse,
learned 1t st the signalers' school back
In 1910. With nm officer in the obser-
walton post, we could not carry on the
kind Of conversation that's usual be-
tween two mates, SO we used the
Morse code. To send, one Of us would
tap the transmitter with his finger
nails, and the one on the other end
would get 1t through the receiver.
Many an hour was whiled away In this
I'M passing compliments back and
forth.
in the observation post the officer
used to sit for hours with a powerful
pair Of field glasses to his eyes.
Through a cleverly concealed loophole
he would scan the ground behind the
German trenches, looking for targets
and finding many. This officer, Cap
tain A. by name, had q habit Of
talking out loud to himself. Some
times he would vent his opinion, same
rs q common private does when he's
wrought up. Once upon q time the
captain had been on Old Peppers staff.
so he could Gus and blind in the most
approved style. Got to be sort Of a
habit with him.
about six thousand yards from us,
behind the German lines, was a road
in plain view of u post. For the last
three days Fritz had brought compa.
MES OF troops down this road in broad
daylight. They were never shciied.
Whenever this happened the captain
would froth at the mouth and let out
Il volume Of Old Peppers religion
which used to make me love him.
Every battery has a range chart on
which distinctive landmarks are noted,
with the range for each. These land
marks are called targets, and are mum.
bercd. On our battery's chart, that
road was called Target II, Range
60OO, 3 degrees 30 minutes left d 23a
battery consisted of four r. boyuit.
zcrs, and fired a %35.pound Fl. T.. shell.
AS you know, Fl. e. means high ex.
ploslve.' l don't like cumming up my
own battery, but we had a record In
the division for direct hits, and our
Boys were just pinlng away for a
chance to exhibit their skill in the
eyes Of Fritz.
o the afternoon Of the fourth day
or fritz' contcmptuous use Of the road
mentioned the captain and I were al
our posts rs usual. Fritz was Strafe-
ing us pretty rough, just like he's doing
now. The shells were playing leap.
frog oil through that orchard.
u was carrying on n conversation
IN our tap code with Cassell Mt the
other end. 1t ran something like this
SAY, Casscll. how would you like
10 be In the saloon bar of the Kings
arms down Rye lane with a bottle OF
BASS in front Of you, and that blonde
narmaid waiting to fiji 'em up again?
The next lnstallment relates
how two a%rtIlIerymen "put n