Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-05
PlUl'ITlNC OUT DUMP FIRE
hERLY CH|lD's PLAY
Nnll Day for Young Subaltcrns
When Only So Small job
e! Is Encountered.
INCIDENTALLY SAVE a MAN
Iest Playing Firemen, They Tell
Major mt Close of Day, Which
Proves Dull Despite Roar of EN-
ploding Sheets.

II 49, by LIEUT.. IL. n. COLNII.E.
1*f FRANCE. Feb. 1.-Two gunner SUI
patterns sat on cartridge boxes at the
S entrance to the battery telephone dug
,6nt and viewed the horizon with
srioomy eyes.
Things are very DUH these days.
q gTumbled Peter. and his companion.
- lsnowni by reason Of his extreme and
apparent youth as Baby" sadly as
+ sYet five years ago youth OF nine
ssssteen might we'll have found the CON
dttion exciting enough On the ridge.
) 9fel here and there every few minutes.
AT regular intervals british battery
sending its shells ''swoosning" over
4thetr heads. and every half hour sec
i sfew rounds into AN unseen target.
s4On the road that ran east and west
mast their right nank parties OF in
from the line and motor amhula noes
and am 2 unit, vehicles made pretty
4 Ssrs speaking long column OF field
sSrtillery lmbers was returning from
s mptyi ma, its load onto an ndv"nsea
+ 300 yards in front of them. And over
]! head the aircraft patr6llcd UP and
down, and occasionally n cluster Of
Archie" puffs would mark the course
&of machine going to or returning
Ss1rom some expedition further afeld.
W ~
AND COMPLAIN OF DIZZINESS
Peter and Baby were getting old and
Il blase. and in such conditions as these
could 1naffectcdly complain OF the dull
n moss of life.
But "a diversion was ut hand. y
81 Roche ibattery suddenly took it into
Ills mead to put two salvos across the
= road. The first did nothing more than
Seatter. party of infantry trudging
"a. S. Z. wagon that was approa ching
the battery TO quicken its speed. Some
particles of mother earth came nying
!Tound our two friends. and small
3piece of sizzling metal thudded into
4, h srpynd not a dozen Yards from
q Interested This sort of intcrlude, too.
had grown stale.
The second salvo produeed a more
s. stacks of ammunition in the dump al
itgendy mentioned. Some Of the cart
land the tarpaulin that covered them
and quantity of the wooden boxes
(! started to burn steadily, with only an
occasional flare as more cartridges were
Sifgnited. There was also the addcn en-
a cltement of constant expectation of
more shells decorating.
The small guard that had been on
the dump scattered hastily, and from
"a safe distance watched the course of
the connngration.
8YGO TO SAVE AMMUNITION
PLACED THERE AT RISKS
sP 6a,,da it, it, remarked Baby. Seems
83ft tic. !. go west, Can't We put the fire
Peter was inclined to caution
Is only that pile. doubt it it's
worth risking lives over"
Es1,I don't know about that" said
\ sheir lives one way or another to ' get
III there I'm going to have a look
He got up and walked across to-
the dump, Peter Following.
The tarpaulin was smoldering with
& just atsthe moment the fire was travel
,ng over the top of a section of un-
boxed liked" ammunition, Of which
line metal cases We're withStaniinE the
r nre, and no cordite had blazcd for some
minutes; Sun. You never knew when
the cofqite propcllant but the explo-
sive GhSrge into the bargain AS Peter
an, ana BABY approached a fame shot up,
8as Kind of partition among the Shell.
Thai tarpaulin helps it burn" said
Baby; 1T makes n forced draught II
I'VE GOETHE one this end off and threw
some water onto the STUFF we might
~ "Hi!s.<he shouted to the three or four
Epnners WHO had drawn little nearer
Ct sight of an officer. Fetch some
y Peter; let's get that tnrpaulin on 49,
FIRE REACHES EDGE
- OF RONED AMMUNITION
Recklessly he dashed in and seized
Sone that was asreaiiy anre. Peter :" Went emf
5s1Suuo 70 the othcr SIDE, ana between
them they drew II, clear. Underneath
y was "a stretch Of boxed ammunition,
OF which the fire had now reached the
.S8extreme edge. and some boxes OF tubes
salswere we'll ablazo the contents going.
q ton. likestcrackers.
suddenly Baby dashed M to the
81 1nan thsre e, among those boyes. Peter.
sffhe twos subaiterns raced round to The
8 nrostrate body; lust beyond the heap
TOT $asnes and cllarrcd wood and canvas
and blSckened metal he lay, half hid :
f$hden behind some scorchcd empty boxc.;.
lie nadsbeen wpunGcd In the first en-
SfDlosionsand his clothes were scorched
They picked him up and carried min.
10 e. the roadside: and he moaned Slight
Ff1oined them. and they got out ali tie
83is ned dressings they could muster bu;
wounds Peter sighted a motor ambm-
lance coming down the road 1t had
9oniy two OF its four bcrths occupied
and Entertained r. y. NJ. G. men prompt
\ siy tookScharge of the case
n e,' y, the fire was burning
ESteadlty, nut, now that the tarpaulin
was gone. there was poorer dramght.
land 1t burned low.
ssEaIADE RECKLESS ny GOOD
ONE f.@t:D PERFORMED
The rescue Of the wounded man had
made Baby more reckless than ever.
The feeling of one good deed done lad
S3Glated him and inspired him with the
ESuesire to achieve more. lie was de-
#tfermined now to save tho ammunition
Z In a lew minutes they were all ,.our-
ling water steadily onto the pile in
s3front OF the advancing fame the two
s.s3subalterns e. aiming the posts of honor
y IA dozen buckets or so suniccd TO cheek
1.-THE fire. Only few boxes here and
Btthere still smoldcrcd and these we're
shaoon arenched at close quarters. BY
sSthat time the injured man was wei on
n his way to the dressing station.
s4sSssSIssWe ell chlidrcn, said the major
Il when they returned TO the mess TO-. lea
& t,.How have you been amusing your
5iEeIyes2''
.Playing at nremcn. sir" rcpIiod
9ts!gaby gayiy And he and Peter were
e Ii. Z