Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-16
OVER THE TOP
ARTHUR GUY EMl'EY,
An American Boy Who Went.
Copyright 1917. by Arthur Guy Ernpey)

81 stammcred. Sir. know absolute
~ nothing.
~ hats easy to SEQ lie reared:
that stupid fac" tells me that. shut
up. Get out: but think you are a
damned liar sus, the same. Back to
you" BATTERY.
Il salu,"d and made my exit.
THAT night the captain sent for u.s.
With fear and trembling We went 10
his dugout. lie WAS alone After
Saiutinc. VIC stood at attention in front
or him and waited HIS say was short.
Dent YOU TWO ever Eci II into
your heads that Mors" is Il dead Ian.
EuIgc. i've known il for years. Tha
tw" o: You had better get rid Of that
nervous habit Of tapping ;rausmittcrS:
It's dangerous. That's all
we saluted. and were just going ont
the door OF the duEout when the cap
tain called us back, and said
"'Sinckc Goldnakes" Yes Well.
there are TWO tins OF them on my table
60 back TO the battery. and keep your
tongues between your teeth. Under.
stand"
we understood
For FIVE weeks afterwards our bat
terry did nothing but extra fatiEucs.
VIC were satisfied and 40 were tho men.
u was worth IL 10 put one over on
Old Pepper. TO say nothing of the in
jury caused to Fritz's feelings"
When Wilson had finished his story
/ looked UP. and the dugout was
damned. An artillery captain and two
officers had also entered arid stayed
for the finish. Wilson spat Gu, an
enormous uuid Of tobacco. looked up
saw the captain. and got as rcd as a
carnation. The captain smiled and
left Wilson whispered 10 me:
"B!imc mo. Yank. see where click
for crucifxion. That captain is the
same ono that chucked us the Cold
fakes in his dugout and here have
been 'chucking me weight about in
his hearing
! Wilson never clicked his cruc!nxion
Quite contrast TO Wilson was an
other character III our brigade. name
Scott. we called him old Sco;ty" on
account Of his age. lie was fifty
seven. although looking forty. "Old
/ Scotty" had been horp in tho North
. "cSt. and had served with the North
| west Mounted Police. lie was typi-
/ cal COW ,'urcher and Indian Fighter and
I was a dead shot with the rife. and
( took no pains 10 disguise this fact
/ from us. lie used 10 take care OF his
rifle as II ii were a baby In his spare
+ moments you could always see hin,
/ cleaning it or polishing the stock. Woe
Q '''t!I' va I!l'iI - no iN -iIlStdht, H'tp-
/ pened TO &c; hold Of this rifle; he soon
f1uld on; his error. Scott was as deaf
as a mule, and il was amusing At
] pa -adc 10 watch him in IN" manual OF
arms. slyly CHANGING out OF the corner
CT his eye at the man next to him
/ 10 see what the order was 'uw he
/ passed the doctor was mystery 20 us.
hr must have blufed his way through
/ because he certainly was independent
tNr- .In nf t,,I,- .,,l
/ like Good Friday. lie wore AT the time
/ large sombrero. had a Mexican tsock
saddle over his shoulder. lariat on
His arm. and "forty-iTa" harGin =
I from his hip. Dumping ;his para pher-
MALTA on the floor, he went mp to the
recruiting officer and shouted I'm
from America. west OF the Rock les, a nd
! want 10 Join your damned army. I've
got no use for a German and can shoot
! some. AZ Scotland Yard they turned
/ me down; said was deaf. and so | am.
I don't banker to ship in with q
/ damned mud crunchine outfit. but the
I cavairy's full. so ] guess this rcEi-
meut's better than none, so trot out
, your papers and I'll sign en-" He told
! them he was forty and slipped by. |
was on recruiting service at the time
/ he applied for enlistment.
! II was old Scotty's great ambition
10 he n sniper or body snatcher." as
Mr. Atkins calls it. The day that he
was detailed as brigade sniper. he cole
/ brated his appointment by blowing the
whole platoon 10 Tags
Being a Tank old Scotty took r
liking TO me. and used to spin some
great yarns about the plains. and tho
whole platoon would drink these in and
ask for more. .hnanias was 4 rook ic
compared with him.
The cN-nla ;rSnan and disciuline