Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-01
INTENSE KISSING NOISE
AND THEN THREE CRASHES
DcBse Columns OF Black yapor AS.
ccnd Immediately From
British Battery.
GIVE THEM TWELVE ROUNDS
First Salvo Silcnccs Guns That
Proved Disturbing Elements for
Men Who We're Basking in the
Sunlight at Post Headquarters.
ny GAIT. A. l.. nzANNo.


PARIS. July 3l.-We lay on the grass
In front OF the col .mand post. Laskins
II the hot sun of early spring. The cap
tain was smoking one OF MS Belgian
cigars. the ones'whicA he Is not allowed
70 smoke indoors, and the major was
lovingly examining u consignment OF
pipes which he had had made to order
and which had just arrived from Eng
land. Presently wc heard "A h!saing
noise. growing in Intensity, like a train
coming into station with the engine
letting off steam, and then three
crashes az though the train had col.
iced violently with the buffers and
gone through the station into The
street.
Where did those go to?" asked the
Dcdaroguc.
'BNtain's battery. as usual" an
"eEed the captain, pointing to a copse
"bont 1000 yards IN front, from which
"ehse columns Of black vapor were
ascending. They probably think they
are straing us. the silly fatheads!"
wish We could get the battery
MATS doing IT," observed thc major
those poor devils down there have
beeH up against it all the week. and
one never knows when our turn
!nayn't come"
lie rose ana walked to the side o.
the house, where I director stood.
and listened .nten;ly Presently we
heard three distant boOms In quick
succession. and some more aerial ex-
press trains steamed in and had col
ts!ons The major swung IN tele-
scope o! the dire cor in the direction
IRON "hich The sound proceeded. and
me captain went to holm. Tvu more
st!vos came over. and the major was
iIiry satishd.
The bearing is about 81 degrees %
minutes left" he said let's have a
COX at the map" rhcy went into the
Command post and bent over the nght-
.ni map 'Etrhty-one degreca %
minutes left" said the major. manipu-
.at'ns the taut catEut over the pro-
tractor, gives us this line"
Probably CIV. 81" said the captain.
Flow about trying it?"
The proposal found favor IN the
major eyes. and h. went to the lc!e-
phone and had taik with the colonel.
w" can give them twelve rounds"
ne announced. and ;hen see what
happens"
Bombadier cor,etson on. a. o.on,
ana . g d-ondonj, got 70 work
PRESENTLY he had his list ready. ana
the major checked the agurey
No ! gun, two-seYcn- derren.
hNe'o minutes. right. No. > gun. two.
'lGht-onc degrees. ouc-Ny, minutes
right No. ) gun. ,wo-e!ghl- three de.
Erees' iour-nNe minutes. right. No
s-h, t"G-e!eht-siN degrees. i've min.
uEes right Concentrate ouc-Gve min
utes OH No. gun. Elevation. one
E1nin degree. two-o minutes. Hypor.
when ready"
Battery ready. sir" announced the
te!epaoUist presently.
one round . tory salyo. fire." an,
swercd the major. Twice was tins
order repca ed, and the group .rnul.ins
on the grass noted that the sh...in.
81 their nc!gh0ors ceased after tn:
Grst Salvo.
The major had another interview
WIN group headquarters - thiuk
We're on the right track, he said. as
ne joined Us outside, 50 lge arranged
10 nave all the guns loaded ana
framed on tho target Eyc~ythiuu is
lanyard Just waiting Tor the order TO
IRE As soon as wc hear me shells
coming III give the order to fire. II
I'm not here" he CONCLUDED. turning
to tie o;ptaiH, ''you carry on Give
them sixteen rounds II after NAV
iHey SO on again. give them twenty.
md increase the dose ~ four for each
further occasion"
Aye-aye. sir" answered tho captain.
whose youth had been spent at sea.
-" hG"F later the captain Was dog
ms under the shadow Of the laiog.
Fua,h. at peace ,.!th all til. world
ne pcdagoSuo WAS fast asleep Be-.
M!nr the command post Eombad!cr
!o!.etSoh. tclcphu...s; and the wire
ieSs operator were reforming !cats
OF strfnGiH Win thirty-two- FOUNDER
cannon ball, which relic OF a former
war had been unearthed by Gunner
iioFt!ieN, the battery iardenar, while
thing the patch OF land which ala
dGty Tor our garden.
suddenly the ominous kissing sound
vas heard Fire! yelled the can
tain as he sp:ang to his feet. and the
guns ba"kcd out Before even INC an
preaching shells had burst "Repea.
o'ncrea the officer, and again the shell
ING ceased out no; our firing. until III.
sixteen rounds We're expended
hat ought 10 teach en-. peparorue ."
s4!a me captain to thai worthy. .wbo
rad just WOKE up. Funny thing ne
"esEafs must have thought their own
smells we're returning TO them. boone
t'"7 '"sn!oh. Al any rate. we've found
out way 10 stop them"
another hour Went hv ana -, >.
wea Their was Tine. il was voted 49,,
To 80 into the farm for tea ! ,ein.
phoAc message To the mess brought
INC servants out with the food, and an
;tpio"ip'o picnic WAS organized Yes,
days. 'i'ose
AS they ate they listened .rira.
s9area the captain, with a suddennesy
ma made the others jump In his
t n,, ne upset the pedagogue's tea
youlez- vous c'est ia guerre.' ~
tine the captain increased the elevatin,'
OF the guns by five minutes. "SV. shall
PROBABLY get their dugouts." he en-
p!aihed, at any rate we can spray the
stuff about a little this time. ", shan
probably XIII few of their gun d..
tachments,' h added. as he lit an.
other cigar.
He may have been right, at an. rata
the hostile battery fired no more tha,
day. or indeed for tbs lcxt vel
they did 1t was not at Britaiu's b,,
terry. Perhaps they thought tina; IL was
nnIucky 10 fire at il, o. perhaps orr
salVos had not left them in a posjtio.,
10 think at all. The truth will not be
sibly not even then-Copyrirht iaIS