The Washington herald., 1918-02-24
"OVER THE TOP"
By ARTHUR GUY EMPEY
Copyrighted by Arthur Guy Empey.
cHAPTER xYI-coNTINuEp.

CHAPTER xvI-CoNTINUED.
Under those conditions 1 told him
to spit out his scheme. 1t was so
daring and simple that 1t took my
breath away. This is what he pro-
posed:
'If the Boches should use the road
again. to send by the tap system the
target and range. had previously
told him about our captain talking
out loud as II he were sending
through orders. Well, II this hap
pened. was to send the dope to Cas-
sell and he would transmit Il to the
battery commander as officially COM
ing through the observation post.
Then the battery would open up. Aft
erwards. during the Investigation,
Cassell would swear he received IL
direct. They would have TO believe
him. because II was impossible from
his post in the battery dugout to know
that the road was being used at the
time by the Germans. And also Il
was impossible for him TO give the
target. range, and degrees. You know
a battery chart Is not passed around
among the men like a newspaper
from Blighty. From him, the inyesti-
cation would go to the observation
post, and the observing oficer could
truthfully swear that / had not sent
the message by phone, and that no
orders to fire had been issued by him.
Fhe Investigators would then be up
IN the air, We would be safe. the
boches would receive a good bashing,
ana we would get our own, back on
Old Pepper. II was too good to be
true. 1 gleefully fell in with the
scheme, and told CasseIl 1 was his
meat.
Then I waited with beating heart,
and watched the captain like a hawk.
He was beginning to fidget again
and was drumming on the sandbags
with his feet. At last, turning to me,
he said:
Wilson, this army is a blankety
blank washout. What's the use of
having artillery il it is not allowed
to fire? The government at home
ought to be hanged with some Of their
red tape. It's through them that we
have no shells
Il answered, Yes sir and started
sending this opinion over the wire to
Cassell, but the captain interrupted
me with:
Keep those Internal fingers still.
What's the matter. getting the
nerves? When I'm talking to you,
pay attention.
My heart sank. Supposing he had
rumbled that tapping. then all would
De up with our plan. I stopped drum
ing with my fingers. and said:
Beg your pardon, sir, Just a habit
with me-
&" And a damned silly one, too he
answered. turning to his glasses again
and / knew 1 was safe. He had not
tumbled to the meaning OF that tap
ping.
"All at once. without turning rounc,
he exclaimed:
well. Of all the nerve I've ever
run across. this takes the cake.
Those - Boches are using that
road again. Blind my eyes. this time
1t Is a whole brigade OF them, trans
ports and all What a pretty target
for our ass. The beggars know we
won't fire. A damned shame / call Il.
oh. Just for a chance to turn ID 2ss
loose on them
Il was trembling with excitement.
From repeated stolen glances at the
captains range chart, that road with
Its range was burned into my mind.
over the wire I tapped. D 2ss Bat
terry. Target Seventeen. Range 6OO0
three degrees, thirty minutes, left.
Salvo, Fire Cassen o. KID nv mes
sage. and with the receiver pressed
against my ear, l waited and listened.
In a couple of minutes very family
over the wire came the voice OF our
battery commander issuing the order:
ID IS Battery. Salvo! Fire"
Then roar through the receiver
as the four guns belched forth, a
screaming, whistling overhead, and
the shells were on their way.
The captain jumped as II he were
shot ana let out great big expressive
Damn and eagerly turned his glasses
IN the direction OF the German road.
L also strained my ewes watching tha,
target. Four black clouds of dust
rose up right in the middle Of the
German column. Four direct hits
another record for d 2ss.
The shells kept on whistIing over
head, and had counted twenty-four
or them when the firing suddenly
ceased. When the smoke ana dust
clouds lifted, TIL destruction on thar
road was awful. Overturned Iimbers
ana guns. wagons smashed up, troops
fleeing in all direction The road
ana roadside were spotted all over
with little field gray dots, the toll OF
our guns.
The captain. in his excitement
mad slipped of the sandbags, and was
on his knees in the mud, the glass
stu at his eye. He was muttering 10
himself and slapping his thigh with
ms oisengaged hand. At every sian
big round Juicy cuss word would es-
cape from his lips followed by:
GOOD. Fine, Marvellous, Pretty
Work, Direct Hits, All
Then he turned to me and
Wilson. what do you think OF
itf Did you ever see the like OF II
In your life? Damn fne work, /
call it.
Pretty soon a look Of wonder
stole over his face. and he ex-
claimed:
but who In hell gave them the
order. to hre? Range and every
thing correct, too. I know I didn't.
Wilson. did 1 give you any order
for the battery to open up! OF
course, ! didn't, did IL
Il answered very emphatically.
No. sir, you gave no command.
Nothing went through this post I
am absolutely certain on that
point, sir
"'Of course. nothing went through.
he replied. Then his face fell, and
he muttered out loud:
"'But, by Jove, wait till Old Pep
per gets wind of this. There'lI be
fur flying
Just then Bombadier casseu cut
in on the wire:
Generals compliments to Capt.
A.. He directs that officer and
n A.