Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1918-12-13

T. ~ Nti r. W. eFffiN go fvssseH,'s 4
Yer RsE Il on. or your cheaf, because
Tn thinking that Fritx win soon be
replying 10 oOur 1trAnng.- and, II an
elFht.lnch shell. eyer hits this dugout
they'll need no wooden crosses Tor
"a. because our names will appear I'M
der the caption Missing"
With another sigh esoauing' from
his lips, which sent q cold shiver, up
and down my spinal column ne lighted
4 faR and started In. This 10 What'he
'Tt was ,bsck, N September i101l.
You know ] came opt With the hFst
hundred, thousand, the time when all
the hRhting was done in the open.
The Germans were BmHshing every
thing before them in their drive on
Paris. Our regiment was one. OF tho
few opposed 10 Won Kluck, Il was q
case OF hold them for . few hours and
then retreat--always retreat. We
didn't even have time TO bury our
dead. The grub was rotten, and we
were Just about tagged out. dead tired.
with no prospect Of arelief or-rest In
front Of IN.
Ut was customary for small patrols
of ten to twenty men IN charge OF q
sergeant, to recOnnOltre on Onr. tanks.
.ons dag lwas sent out In charge OF
one Of these parties. Oh, yes. i was
n sergeant then. but ! lost my stripes
-dlsObedlence Of orders they cahed
II. suppose ought to feel lucky !
wasn't shot, but I'll leave u to you
whether did right ~ not
AT that time was In Tor q COM
mission, but, Of course. didn't get It
II I had received II: no doubt By this
time I'd be pushing mp the daisies
somewhere in France. In those daya
Officers didn't last lOng-made Ane tar
gets for the Boches.
"This patrol / was IN charge OF car
ried ratIons for three days. We were
/ to scout around Just in front Of the
advancing enemy, but our orders were
not to engage. them-just getgtnSoSma'
ton. II the information obtained, wa
valuable enough. ! was to send II 10
BY one Of the, men. There were -FOUR
teen of Us, and we were mounted.
was in the Lancers then. and was con
sidered q fair rider.
THE nrst day nothing happened
We Just secuted around. BY night
fall we were pretty tired, 90 when w
came to O vIllage-vasnt o. village
either: Just Ave or six houses clus
tered around church,. decided e
20 into blllets for the night.
"Ridlng mp to the. largest house
which had q four-foot stone wall run
ming around its garden. dismountet
Of the gate and knocked with the hill
OF my sword. Pretty, soon Q light ap
peared at the front dO0r-the house
was on q sort Of Q knoll. 30 this dool
was in plain view. Then the sweet
est voice I ever heard called out II
trembling tones. in perfect English
too. but with Just the suspicion OF a
accent:
"'Who IL there. pleaser
~ answered. Just Q few EngliSl
Lancers who desire Q place to rest To-
the night. The barn win DO. WI
don't want anything to eat. 20 w
have ratiOns with Us. So. II you VII
accommodate Us. miss, will be mucl
obliged was In love with that CIR
before saw her-the voice. had dom
the trick.
"She answered. :Just Q moment
please, until tell father and theI
the door shut and the light disap
peared. We didn't have to wait lonI
before the door opened, and she callet
to me;
"'Father bids you welcome. and n
do I, soldiers Of England
'sThen she opened the gate. Their
she stood ON the gravel path, with tn
lantern held shoulder high. ] trem
bled all over-thought saw q vision
tell you, Yank. she was beautiful
One of the kind you would like t
take in your arms. but won't fol, Tea
Of crushing. No use for me to try t
describe her. Yank, it's out Of my line
but she captured me. heart and sou
There I stood like q great. big boot
shaking and suffering. At last
managed to blurt out Q Stammerin
Thank you, miss
"Ehe showed % the way TO the st1
bIes and stood in the door holding To
lantern 80 We could zee to 1nsaddle.
was fumbling around with the buckles
but for the life Of mo couldn't Get tina
saddle Of. One Of the men, with q wiz
and q, broad grin. came over and bell
ed me. That grin got, my goat. 10 0
the sly, / kicked him on the shin. d
let out an explosive damn ATE
that damn the silence was palnfn
The poor fellow felt like fool. ] va
sorry for him. even though I could
have killed him for his thoughtless
ness. But our embarrassment wal
shOrt-lived. because q ailvery laugf
came from behind the lantern, q laugh
thnt WIS not loud. but It echoed and re
A a|Gamna - .