American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-06-21

terry. or lance corporal, as you call II
in the infantry. used TO relieve the
te%lephOnists. We would do two hours
on and four OF. I would be on duty
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
through orders for the battery 70 fire
when ordered 70 do so by the observs-
ton officer In the advanced post. But
very few messages were sent. II was
only in case Of an actual attack that
we would get a chance to earl q
two and six a day. You see, Old Pep
per had issued orders not TO FIRE ex-
cept when the orders came from him
And with Old Pepper orders is orders,
and made TO obey.
THE Germans must have known
about these orders, for even In the day
their transports and troops used 70
expose themselves as II they were on
parade. This sure got up our nsse.
sitting there day after day, with fine
targets in front OF Us but unable to
send over a she'll. 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 cussing. and got very care
less. Blime me. they were bally in
sulting. Used 70. when using a certain
road, throw their caps into the air as
a taunt at our helplessness.
"Cassell had been e telegrapher In
civil life and Joined up when war was
declared. As for me l knew Morse.
learned It at the signalers' school back
in 1910. With an officer IN the obser-
walton post. we could not carry N 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 II through the receiver.
Many an hour was whiled away In this
n passing compliments back and
forth.
In the observation post the officer
used 20 sit for hours with q powerful
pair OF field glasses TO his eyes.
Through a cleverly concealed loophole
he would a the ground behind the
German trenches. looking for targets
and finding many. This officer, Cap
tain A. by name. had a habit Of
talking out loud 70 himself. Some
/ times he would rent his opinion. same
as a common private does when he's
wrought up. Once upon a time the
captain had been on Old Peppers stan,
so he could russ and blind In the mos,
approved style. Got to be sort OF 9
habit with him.
About six thousand yards from Us
behind the German lines. was & road
In plain view OF our post For the las,
three days Fritz had brought comps'
MES Of troops down this road In broad
daylight. They were never shelled
Whenever this happened the captair
would froth at the mouth and let on
a volume OF Old Peppers religion
which used TO make me love him.
Every battery has q range chart oz
which distinctive landmarks are noted
with the range for each. These land
marks are called targets. and are mum
oCAC0. III OuI UnAlcEI : CQdEIs Una
road was called Target II. Rang,
5000. 8 degrees 80 minutes left D -
battery consisted OF four as hovit
Eers. and ired a 35-pound b. T. shell
As you know. b. E means high ex
plosive.' I don't ike cumming up my
own battery. but We had a record ir
the division for direct hits. and oul
boys were just pining away for 6
chance 10 exhibit their skill IN tbs
eyes OF Fritz
"On the afternoon OF the fourth dsJ
OF Fritz contemptuous use OF the road
mentioned the captain and I were al
our posts as usual. Fritz was strafe-
ing US pretty rough. just Ike he's doing
now. The shells were playing leap
frog all through that orchard.
II was carrying on a conversation
In our tap code with Cassel at the
other end. II ran something like this
-'Say. Cassell. how would YOU like
10 be In the saloon bar OF the Kings