American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-10-04

repeated IL more slowly TO be sure,
and turned as II TO start out again
out into the storm.
Several hands caught him. Where
was he going?
"Wher'm l going?" he cried, the
historical note mastering his voice.
Wherein / going? Pm going back
to get my buddy"
Then he tainted.
That is the story OF two American
Inc in the second battle OF the
Marine. It's only one story, and there
are so many. IL Is chronicled here
just because there are so many like
4 In the chapter Of The Runners.
Go TO anyone who has lived through
any day or week OF that battle where
Il was hottest and ask who were its
heroes. lie will want to name all the
men who put their shoulder to its ire
mendous burden from the ammunition
drivers. blowing stubbornly on through
maddening miles of mud, knowing and
asking no sleep for many days and
nights, to the battalion commanders,
who could not and would not remem-
Der what the books said about their
place being behind the line. But II he
must single out one group for tribute
the chances are he will reluctantly
pass the others by and say; "The
Runners"
The runners are the fleet young
sters who, as the battle sways and
strains, keep regiment in touch with
battalion, battalion with company,
company with platoon. To let each
unit know how the others are faring.
above all in such fighting as the last
weeks have seen. to let the nervous
guns know to what line the surging
infantrymen have attained. this is the
business Of the runners. The story
OF much that Is crushed down under
such verbal impedimentia as ~liasion,
reconnaissance and communications
can be told in the terms of brave boys
legs.
All the fine devices OF science to
quicken and insure communication
collapse in the swift hours of such an
advance as began at the Marine on
July rs. by indefatigable work the tel
ephone wires, though shelled again
and again into fragments, can be re-
paired and kept intact between divi-
sional headquarters and regimental
But what of the mile of quaking coun-
tryside from there to the front?
The r. p. s., or ground telegraphy,
Is admirable. but It's machinery Is too
heavy and its mechanism too deli
cate for the climaxes of open warfare.
The wireless Is wonderful until the
German buzzer jams it. Lamps. flags,
every type of visual signalling. can
not be employed TO such advantage on
a shifting battlefield all cut with
grooves and knobs. and sometimes
catch the enemy eye and draw his fire
on the signal man.
In such fighting as drove the ar
mics of the Crown Prince from the
Marine to the Vesle. the leaders in the
battle revert TO first principles In
more ways than me. One way Is their
heavy dependence on that same device
which served the %Israelites In their
battles against the Philistines, served
the Athenians in their wars with all
the world. That device is the human
messenger, the runner Of the battle
field.
Most Of them are young boys of Is
or 10. Their work is important be-
yond measure. II is dangerous be-
cause sometimes they can not crouch
and take cover, though their path lead
them through a curtain of fire. 1t is
a little more difficult because the
runners must go their way alone,
without the incalculable lift and cheer
IL gives a fighter to have his brother
fighters shoulder to shoulder with
him.
The runner has one definite task
before him. without any agony of
choice. He has a single thing to do.
He must carry the message TO Garcia
and he does. or dies trying. Very
often, on the heights that lie TO the
north OF the Ourcq. he died trying.
One would crawlto the majors dug
out. forgetting to chuck the cigarette
that dangled from the corner of his
mouth as he nonchalantly delivered
the message-cool and ~unruffled. The
next would lurch to the majors side,
drop TO bis knees and spit out his
message with clenched hands, pop
ping eyes and lips so trembling that
he could scarcely make himself UNI
derstood. But though the whole world
seemed to shake with the thunder OF
the guns. though the bullets from the
hidden machine guns Tell IKE ram al
about them, each kind delivered his
message.
Sometimes the path was so peril
Gus and the word so vital that thre'
were charged with the one message
You can imagine them crouching il
the dugout, straining at the leash, al
II is read to them in quick. sharI
sentences. Have they got il? TIT
three heads nod. Then. like pisto
shots, the lieutenant gives the signals
"Laniganl" And Lanigan is gone
They give him two hundred yard
start. "Jenksl" jerks is off.
"Bartonl' The message is on il
way.
The adjutant goes back to his work
hoping that one of the three will ge
through. praying that all of them will
From the number of substitutes