American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-12-17
STORIES FROM THE BAT
TIE FRONT.
UTE WAR WHOOP SIGNALS
TRIUMPH OVER HUN
Chief Ross, Who Saluted Once and
Says @Ugh," Shines as Scout-Car-
ries German Pistol.

The Ute war cry rang through a
French town the other day when Chief
Ross, otherwise Private Ross, battal-
ion scout of the - Infantry. during a
moment of triumph over his German
enemy, forgot himself and uttered the
ancient tocsin OF his ace.
A year ago, when Private Ross bade
farewell to his native state-Arizona
and shed his buckskin riding trous-
ers for a uniform, he Immediately be-
came a chief. Not a chief with the
same executive powers as the chiefs
that ruled over his a C. years ago, but
a plain buck private chief. His white
brethren insisted on calling him Chief
the first day he arrived in camp, al
though he peeled potatoes for the
mess sergeant hat day, and real
chiefs are not supposed to do X. P.
Chief Ross is not what you would
call a model soldier. He has been
known to salute an officer only once,
and that was when he had gone to his
captain for the third time to request
a pass. He says "Ughi" for Eyes,
sir and shakes his head for mo, sir"
He neve talks much, although he has
a fair knowledge of English. He had
smiled up to the other day only once
since he has been in the Army. and
that, his comrades say, was when his
scout commander promised him a GER
tain something if he would accomplish
a certain errand which the officer was
about to send him upon.
II was at a training camp in Amer
lea that a scout captain first noted
the scouting abilities of Chief Ross.
One day the regiment was maneuver-
ing, and it was necessary to send out
scouts, Chief Ross was selected. A
detachment, commanded by the cap
tain, was to act as the enemy. and 1t
was Chief Ross's duty to scout ahead
of the advance guard, locate the
enemy and report his location to the
colonel.
Enemy is Located.
An hour later the Indian reported
the exact location of the enemy" and
then disappeared. When the captain
and his detachment had been captur-
ed Chief Ross brought up the rear.
He had returned to their position and
hid behind a log to avoid a mistake in
case the "enemy" changed its location.
During his going and coming the scout
had been unobserved, and the captain
was much surprised on learning that
his position in a thick berry patch had
been under observation of Ross from
the time he entered it until his cap
ture.
When the regiment arrived in
France, Chief Ross, with 40 others,
was chosen as a battalion scout. Then
it was that his real work began.
The first day the regiment went
into battle. Chief Ross was very &C
tive. BY night he knew every shell
hole in No Mans Land, the location
OF every machine gun nest and snip.
er's post.
1t was during the first day of battle
that the Indian scout relapsed into {
silence profound even for him. Tt
spoke to no one except on rare oc'
casions. When directed to perform
certain errand, he merely grunted ant
then faded away into the forest OF
u~nderbrush. The errand performed
and he has never failed to perform
one vet. whether it be a machine gun
nest that needs silencing or only
sniper-he would return to his owl
lines without even so much as max
ing a report to his scout commander
Admired by POilus.
His actions we're noticed by tn
French officers and poilus. What the.
regarded him as at first they were to
polite to tell, but soon they began I
understand and admire him.