Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-05-22
''0ver the Top
b An American Solder
Who Went
ARTHUR GUY EaPEY
jopy1ighA nlI Sy Arthur CIV 1noE1
Mseh,ss Csaas, Ss,stas h F,ssss

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'The Germans must have known
about these orders, for even In the day
their transports and troops used to
expose themselves as II 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 q 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 cussing, and got very care
less. Blime me, they were bally In
sulting. Used to, when using certain
road, throw their caps into the air as
q taunt at our helplesgness.
ACassell had been telegrapher In
civil life and Joined up when war was
declared. As for me, knew Morse,
learned 1t at the signalers' school back
In 1910. With an officer in the obser-
walton post, we could not carry on the
Kind Of conversation that's usual be-
tween two mates, 80 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
manner 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 cleyerly 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 habit Of
talking out loud to himself. Some
times he would vent his opinion, same
as common private does when he's
wrought up. Once upon a time the
captain had been on Old Peppers staff,
80 he could cuss 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 road
lin plain view Of our post. For the last
three days. Fritz had brought compa-
mics Of troops down this road In broad
daylight. They were never shelled.
Whenever this happened the captain
would froth at the mouth and let out
"a volume Of Old Peppers religion
which used to make me love him.
Every battery has range chart on
which distinctive landmarks are noted,
with the range for each. These land
marks are called targets, and are num-
bered. On our battery's chart, that
road was called Target II, Range
1000, 8 degrees 80 minutes left D 2SS
battery consisted Of four AS howit-
ssrs, and fired a 35-pound II. b. shell.
AS you know, 81. e. means high ex-
plosive.' ! don't like cumming up my
own battery, but we had record In
the division for direct hits, and our
boys we're just pining away for a
chance to exhibit their skill In the
eyes Of FRITZ.
''On the afternoon Of the fourth day
OF Fritz c0ntemptuous use Of the road
mentioned the captain and were at
our posts as usual. Fritz was strafe-
ing us pretty rough, Just like he's doing
now. The shells were playing leap
frog all through that orchard.
II was carrying on conversation
in our tap code with Cassell at the
other end. 1t ran something like this:
"'Say, Cassell, how would you like
to be in the saloon bar of the Kings
Arms down Rye lane with a bottle Of
Bass in front Of you, and that blonde
barmaid waiting to fill 'em up again?
/ "Cassell had a fancy for that par
ticular blonde. The answer came back
In the shape of volley Of cusses. l
changed the subject.
"After q while our talk veered
round to the way the Boches had been
exposing themselves on the road down
on the chart as Target IL. What he
said about those Boches would never
have passed the reichstag, though I
believe it would have gone through
our censor easily enough.
1.-THE bursting shells were making
such din that I packed up talking
and took to watching the captain. He
was fdgeting around on an old sand
bag with the glass to his eye. Occa-
aionally he would let out grunt, and
make some remark I couldn't hear on
account Of the noise, but I guessed
what it was all right. Fritz was get
ting fresh again on that road.
"Cassell had been sending In the tap
code to me, but / was fed up and
didn't bother with 1t. Then he sent
o. s., and was all attention, for this
was call used between us which
meant that something important was
on. was all ears in an instant. Then
Cassell turned loose.
.sYou blankety blank dud, I have
been trying to raise you for fifteen
minutes. What's the matter, are you
aAleepT (Just as II anyone could
have slept in that internal racketD
Never mind framing nasty answer.
Just listen
".Are you game for putting some
thing over on the Boches and Old Pep
per all In one?
II answered that was game enough
when it came to putting it over the
Boches, but confessed that ! had
weakening Of the spine, even at the
mention of Old Peppers name.
HE came back with, It's so absurd
ly easy and simple that there Is no
chance of the old heather rumbling 1t.
Anyway, If we're caught, I'll take the
blame
"Under these condition told him to