Evening star., 1931-12-27

"Tole you" lamented Fiddle Face glumly as
he followed Slue Foot into the captains office.
"Capn, sub, heah us is" announced Slue
Foot, grandly
His first sight of the captains face gave the
juberous Fiddle Face a distinct shock that
caused him to bat his eyes rapidly In unbe-
lief. Old Cap'n's countenance was actually
festooned with>a smile.
"Oh, so you're SOBER" smiled Ole Cap'n
"Capn, yes suh." acknowledged slue Foot,
enthusiastically.
Fine, fine" enthused Ole Cap'n I'm send
ing you out as wire-carrying detail. You're
taking reel of wire up to an observation post
below Crezancy Signal Corps man outside will
act as guide. I'd tell you what would happen
to you when you got back, If you get drunk, or
pull boner but it would be waste of time"
"Cap'n suh,' inquired Slue Foot, quaveringly,
"does you mean dat us boys mought not git
back?"
Smelling light up there" answered Ole
Cap'n. Not much danger, except from Ger
patrols"
Slightly dazed, and begged down deep in
misery morass, the pindling pair staggered out
into the sunshine.
You the two smokes that are going to
strong-arm this wire for me?" demanded q
hard-jaw white boy sporting two authority
stripes.
"Gineral, yes suh,' they chorused plaintvely
We'll, put your lunch hooks on that reel,
and get movin'," snapped the hard boiled boy
"Gineral, yes suh."
They stuck stick through the steel reel,
hcfted it gngerly, and reluctantly followed the
Signal Corps corporal into the dripping cling
Ing underbrush
THEY trudged on in thick and dismal
silence, broken only by the asthmatic
cough of the hidden artillery The silence
grew thicker and more dismal, and the artil-
lery coughed closer.
Lii birds is singin', announced Slue Foot in
last desperate attempt to enlven the proceed
ings.
Leave 'em sing" ordered Fiddle Face, list
lessly. "Ole Buzzard Bird doan nevah sing"
At the news that the little birds were giving
vocal vent to their enjoyment Of life, the Signal
Corps Corporal cooked a knowing eye and re-
garded his burden bearers with hard, sardonic
leer
Listen, you two Johns" he ordered in a
weary brittle voice. while his carrying detail
eyed him anxiously; I've been spoofed by ex-
perts. After being on the line 80 days. I know
better than you do that whistling noise is
caused by Kraut machine gun slugs."
'Whut dat? Whut you say? White boy, say
dat ergin," demanded Slue Foot his voice edged
with the suspicion Of a forming panic.
The second saying wasn't necessary. The
Boche said it with machine gun bullets. An
almost spent machine gun slug pinged into the
steel reel and left behind it two jagged holes
and panic stricken colored carrying detail
The Signal Corps Corporal moved of; the
carrying detail breathed fast and rolled their
eyes, The corporal broke into a dog trot that
ended in a colored stampede.
"Whar at is dat hole us is supposed to take
dis wiah to?" painted the straining Fiddle Face,
as he flashed by the corporal. Holes whut is
deep, us Graves notin' else but
Right ahead Of you, boy" shouted the cor
poral, to the black streak disappearing in the
distance.
"A mountain, us mought run ovah widout
noticin'," reasoned Slue Foot, aloud. 'Wid
hsles, it's different. When you gifts whah at
it is, boun' to drap into a hole"
Slue Foots reasoning proved correct In de-