The Lancaster news. (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, April 09, 1918, Page PAGE TWO, Image 2

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

PAGE TWO [ =? "Over the Top" By An American Soldier Who Went 1 ARTHUR GUY EMPEY Machine Conner Serving In France (Copyright. 1V17. by Arthur Ooy Mm par) (Continued From Last Issue.) ' "At one pnrt of onr trench where at communication trench joined the Trout line a Tommy had stuck up a "Wooden sijmpost with three hands or arms on It. One of the hands, pointing to the German lines, read. 'To P.crlin ;* the one pointing down the corn* "tnunleation trench rend. 'To Blighty,' while the other snld. 'Suicide Iltch, Change Here for Stretchers.' "Farther down from this guide post The trench ran through an old orchard. On the edge of this orchard our battery had constructed an advanced observation post. The trees screened it from the enemy airmen and the roof was turfed. It wasn't cushy like ours, no timber or concrete re-enforcements. Jnst walls of sandbags. From it a splendid view of the German lines | could be obtained. This post wasn't exactly safe. It was a hot corner, shells plunking nil around, and the bullets cutting leaves off the trees. Many a time when relieving the slg naler at the 'phone. I had to crawl on |m; belly like a worm to keep from) being hit. "It was an observation post sure enough. That's all the use it was. Just observe all day. hut never ? message back for our battery to open up. Yon see, at this point of the line there i were strict orders not to fire a shell, j unless specially ordered to do so from brigade headquarters. Blirne me. if anyone disobeyed that command, out general?yes. it was Old Pepper? , would have court-martialed the wholr ! expeditionary force. Nobody went out of their way to disobey Old Penner ir those days, because be couldn't b? called a parson; be was more like e1 pirate. If at any time the devil should feel lonely and sigh for a proper mate Old I'epper would pet the first call. Facing the Germans wasn't half bad compared with an interview with that old firebrand. "If a company or battalion should give way a few yards against a sn- | perior force of Roches, Old Pepper would send for the commanding officer. In about half an hour the officer would coine back with Ins face the color of a brick, and in a few hours what was left of his command would be holding their original position. "I have seen an officer who wouldn't say d n for a thousand quid spend One of the Big five minutes with the old hoy, and when he returned the How of language from his lips would make u nuvvy blush for shame. "What ! am going to tell you Is how two of us put It over on the old scnrnp, and got away with It. It was a risky thing, too, because Old Pepper wouldn't have been exactly mild with us If he had got next to the game. "Me and my mate, a lad named Harry Caswell, a bombardier In I> '238 hat- 1 itery, or lance corporal, as you call It in tho Infantes *"w"1 * 11 - ... iimuii.v, usru in rfili'Vl* ine telephonists. We would do two hours on and four off. 1 would be on duty In the advanced observation post, while he would he at the other end of the wire In the battery dugout signaling station. We were supposed to send ' through orders for the battery to flre when ordered to do so by the observation officer In the advanced post. But very few messages were sent. It was only in case of an nctunl attack that we would get a chance to earn our j iwu imn fix n ony. you see. Old Pepper had Issuer] orders not to flre ex-cept when the orders cnme fram him. And with Old Pepper orders Is orders, and mnde to obey. "The Germans must have known about these orders, for even in the day their transports and troops used to expose themselves as If they were on parade. This sure got up our nose, sitting there day after day, with fine targets In front of us hut unable to send over a shell. We heartily cussed Old Pepper, his orders, the govern merit, the people at home, ami every'hing in general. Hut the Boehes didn't mind cussing. and pot very eare Iosk. Rlime me, they were bally insulting. Used to. when using n certain road, throw their caps into the air as a taunt at our helplessness. "Casaell hud been a telegrapher In civil life and Joined tip when war was declared. As for me. I knew Morse, learned it at the signaler*' school back In 1910. With an officer in the observation post, we could not carry on the kind of conversation that's usual between two ma tea. so we used the Morse code. To send, one of us would tap the transmitter with his finger uails. and the one on the other end would get It through the receiver. Many an hour was whlled away in this manner passing compliments hack and forth. "In the observation post the officer used to sit for hours with a powerful pair of field glasses to his eyes. Through n cleverly concealed loophole he would scan the ground behind the German trenches, looking for targets and finding many. This officer. Captain A by name, had a liahit of talking out loud to himself. Sometimes he would vent his opinion, same as a common private does when he's wrought up. Once upon a time the captain had been on Old Pepper's staff, so he could cuss and blind in the most npproved style. Got to be sort of a habit with him. "About six thousand yards from us. behind the German lines, was a road in plain view of our post. For the last three days Fritz had brought companies of troops down this road In broad daylight. They were never shelled. Whenever this happened the captain would froth at the mouth and let out a volume of Old Pepper's religion which used to make me love him. "Every battery has a range chart on which distinctive landmarks are noted, with tiie range for each. These land-) marks are called targets, and are numbered. On our battery's chart, that road was called 'Target 17, Rnngei (1000. .1 degrees ,'tO minutes left.' I) 2JW? battery consisted of four '4..r>' howlt- j zers. and fired a 3f?-pound 11. K. shell As you know. II. E. means 'high explosive.' 1 don't like bumming up my own battery, but we had a record In i the division for direct hits, and our boys were just pining away for a chance to exhibit their skill in the! eyes of Fritz. "( )n ??w? < -? ?* *'! !??*- M'UI HI UI1.V | of Fritz' contemptuous use of the road mentioned the captain nnd I were at our posis as usual. Fritz was strafe- j Ing us pretty rough. Just like he's doing | now. The shells were playing leap- . frog all through that t?rchard. "I was carrying /?n a conversation in our Map' code with Casseli at the i other end. It ran something like this: ! " 'Sav. Casseli. how would you like to he in the saloon bar of the King's 1 I ; V" '* > ' p' _ >* . < . . { Guns Barking. Arms down Rye lone with n bottle of : Rnss In front of you. and that blonde j barmaid waiting to fill 'em up again?'I "Cnssell had a fnney for that par-1 tfcular blonde. The answer came back in the shape of a volley of cusses. I changed the subject. "After a while our talk veered round to the way the Roches had been ! exposing themselves on the road down j on the chart as Target 17. What he | said about those Itoches would never J have passed the relchstng. though 1 < believe it would have gone through i our censor easily enough. I "The bursting shells were making 1 such a din that I packed up talking ; and took to watching the captain. He ( was fidgeting around on an old sand- ( hag with the glass to his eye. Occa- : si on a Fly he would let out a grunt, and j make some remark I couldn't hear on account of the noise, but I guessed | what It was all right. Fritz was get- ! ting fresh again on that road. "C'assell had been sending In the 'tap code' to ine, but 1 was fed up and ' didn't bother with It Then ho nan* i O. S., and I was all attention, for this was a rail nsed between us which meant that something Important was on. I was all ears In an Instant. Then Cassell turned loose. "'You blankety blank dud, I have been trying to raise you for fifteen minutes. What's the matter, are you asleep?" (Jnst an if anyone could have slept In that Infernal racket 1) 'Never mind framing a nasty answer. Just listen.' I n THE LANCASTER N1 " 'Are yon (tame for putting Rome- J thing over on the Boche? and Old I*ep- ' per all In one?' "I answered that I was game enough when It came to putting It over the BoebeR. but confessed that I had a weakening of the spine, even at the mention of Old Pepper's name. "He came hack with, 'It's ro absurdly easy and simple that there Is no chance of the old heathen rumbling It. i Anyway, if we're caught. I'll take the blame.' "Under these condition I told him to spit out his scheme. It was so dnring auu simple tnnt it toon my breath away. This Is what he proposed: "If the Boches should use that road ngtiin. to send by the tap system the target and ranee. I had previously , told him about our captain talking out loud as If he were sending through orders. Well, If this happened. I was to send the dope to Oassoll and he would transmit It to the battery commander as officially coming through the observation post. Then the battery would open up. Afterwards, during the Investigation. Cassell would swear he received It direct. They would have to relieve him, because It j was impossible from his post in the battery dugout to know that the road was being used at that time by the | Germans. And also It was Impossible : for him to give the target, range and 1 degrees. Yon know a battery chart Is ' not passed around among the men like ! a newspaper from Blighty. From him j the Investigation would go to the ob. servutlon post, and the observing offi| cer cou.d truthfully swear that I hnd ' not sent the message by 'phone, and i that no orders to fire bad been Issued | by him. The Investigators would then j be up In the air, we would be safe, the Boches would receive a good hashing. mm > 11UUIII m'l nur (in II IliKK (?l (.11(1 Pepper. It was too pood to be true. I gleefullv fell in with the scheme, and told Cnssell I was his meat. "Then I waited with beating heart and watched the captain like a hawk. "He was beplnnlnp to fidget apnln and wns druniminp on the sandbaps with his feet. At Fast, turning to me, he said: "'Wilson, this army Is a blnnkety blank washout. What's the use of having artillery if it is not allowed to fire?. The government at home ought to be I hanged with some of their red tape. I It's through them that we have no shells.' "I answered. 'Yes, sir.' and started rending tfiis opinion over the wire to, Cnssell, but the captain interrupted! me with: " 'Keep those infernal fingers still. | What's the matter, getting the nerves?. When I'm talking to you, pay attention.' "My henrt sank. Supposing he had , rumbled thnt tapping, then all would I be up with our plan. I stopped drum-] tiling with my ftngers and said: '"Beg your pardon, sir. Just a habit with me.' " 'And a d d silly one. too,' he answered, turning to his glasses again | and 1 knew 1 wns safe. He hud not tumbled to the mennlnp of that tap- I plnp. "All at once, without turninp round, i he exclaimed: " 'Well, of all the nerve I've ever run | across, this takes the cake. Those Roches are usinp that road opain. Rlind my eyes, this time It is a whole brigade of them, transports and all. What a pretty target for our 4.5's.' The beggars know that we ; won't fire. A d d shame. I call It Oh, just for a chance to turn I> 235 loose on them.' "I was trembling with excitement From rep ated stolen glances at the | captain's range ehnrt. that road with lft r c? nrro n'oc Knenofl Into ? >?? "Over the wire I tfippnl. '1? 218 battery. Target 17. Hunge iwmhi. .'1 degree* 10 minutes, left, salvo, tire.' Cassel!, f). K.'d my message, and with the re- j reiver pressed against my ear. I wait 1 ed and listened. In a couple of mln j utes very faintly over the wire rami , the voice of our battery cmnmandei j Issuing the order: *D 218 battery i Salvo! Fire!' "Then a roar through the recelvel as the four guns belched forth, e screaming and whistling overhead,ant! the shells were on their way. "The captain Jumped as If he wen shot, and let out a great big expresslvt a n, and eagerly turned his glasses in the direction of the German road. I also strained my eyes watching that target. Four black clouds of dust rose up right in the middle <if the German column. Four dlrect^Hts?another record for I) 2.18. "The shells kept on whistling overhead. and I had counted twenty-four of them when the tiring suddenly censed. When the smoke and dust clouds lifted the destruction on that road wns awful. Overturned limbers Hfid guns, wagons smashed up, troops lie Who Delivers the Goods is En til Owl ... ?... U iitniur. A preparation that gives result*, delivers the goods, restores your health, deserves your consideration, and Is what you want. L-Kheumo cures rheumatism and gout?that's why those who suffer from rheumatism want L-Rheumo. You should get a bottle when you feel that first pain. L-Rheumo is a rejuvenating, el.minant, laxative. Its use insures success. Don't listen to druggists who offer you something else, you know the reason. Guaranteed Price one dollar. For sale Standard Drug Co., Lancaster, fl. C., or write Chapman-Alexander laboratories, Greenville, S. C ?Adv. BWS, LANCASTER, S. C. fleeing In fit) directions. The "road aiTH | roadside were spotted all over with little field gray dots, the toll of our guns. "The captain. In his excitement, had slipped off the sandbag, and was on his knees In the mud, the glass still at his eye. He was muttering to himself and slapping his thigh with his disengaged hand. * At every slap a hig round Juicy cuss word would escape from his lips followed by: "Good! Fine! Marvelous! Pretty Work! Direct hits all.' "Thru he turned lo roe nnd shouted: M'Wilson. what do you think of It 7 r>id you ever see tlie like of It lu your life? I> n fine work. I cull It.' "Pretty soon a look of wonder stole over his fnoe and he exclaimed: "But who in h?1 gave them the order to fire. Range find everything correct, too. I know I didn't. Wilson, did 1 give you any order for the buttery to open up? Of course I didn't, did' I?' "I answered very emphatically. 'No. sir. you gave no command. Nothing I went through this post. 1 am abso- | lutely certain on that point, sir.' " 'Of course nothing went through.'I he replied. Then his face fell, and he i muttered out loud: " 'But. by Jove, wait till Old Pepper gets wind of this. There'll be fur flying.' Just then Botnbnrdier Cassell cut in ' on the wire: "'General's compliments to Captain , A . He directs that officer and signaler report r.t the double to biigade headquarters as soon ns relieved. Relief now on the way.' "In an undertone to me. 'Keep n brass front. Wilson, and for God's sake, stick.' I answered with. 'Rely on me, mate.* but I was trembling all over. I "I gave the general's message to the captain, and started packing up. "The relief arrived, and as we left the post the captain said: "'Now for the fireworks, and I know they'll be good and plenty.' They were. "When we arrived at the gun pita the battery commander, the sergeant major nnd Cassell were waiting for us. We fell In line and the funeral tnnrcb to brigade headquarters started. "Arriving at headquarters the battery commander was the first to be frnterviewed. This wns wtiinH doors. From the roaring and explosions of Old Pepper It sounded as If raw meat was being thrown to the lions. Cassell, later, described It as sonndlng like a bombing raid. In about two minutes the otlioer reappeared. The sweat was pouring from his forehead, and his face was the color of a beet. He was speechless. As he passed tne captain he Jerked his thumb In the direction of the lion's th?n and went out. Then the captain went in. and the lions were once again fed. The captain stayed ubout twenty minutes and came out. 1 couldn't see his ' face, but the droop In his shoulders was enough, lie looked like a wet hen. "The door of the general's room opened and Old Pepper stood In the j doorway. With a roar he shouted: | '"Which one of you Is Cassell? J I> n me. get your heels together j wnen 1 speau : tome in Here!' "Casseli started to say, 'Yes sir.' "Hut Old Hopper roure^, 'Shut up!' j "Cussell cnme out In live minutes. He- said notlijng, buf as he passed me he put his tongue into his cheek and j winked, then, turning to the closed 1 door, he stuck his thumb to his nose und It ft. | "Then the sergeant major's turn came. He didn't come out our way. | Judging by the rouring. Old Pepper must have eaten him. "When the door opened und the general beckoned to me, my knees started to play 'Home, Sweet Home' against : each other. "My interview wns very short. "Old Pepper glared at me when I , entered, and then let loose. "'Of course you don't know anything about it. You're Just like the rest. Ought to have a nursing bottle around your neck and a nipple in your teeth. Soldiers?by gad. you turn my stomach to look at you. Win this war, wnrn r.nginnn senus oui suen samples as I have in my brigade! Not likely! Now, sir, tell me what you don't know about this affair. Speak up, out with it. Don't he gaping at uie like a Ash. Spit it out.* "I stammered, 'Sir, I know absolutely nothing.' "'That's easy to see,' he roared; that stupid face tells me that. Shut up. Get out; hut I think you are a d d liar Just the aoine. Back to your battery.' "I saluted and mode my exit. "That night the cuptaln sent for ur. With fear and trembling we went to his dugout. He was alone. After saluting we stood at attention in front of him and waited. His soy was short. "*I>on't you two ever get it Into your heads that Morse is a dead language. I've known it for years. The two of you had better get rid of that nervous habit of tupping transmitters; it's dangerous. That's all.' 1 --a ? -.4 I A a * or nmuii'u, nuu wrrc JUKI going I1UI the d<ior of the dugout when the captain called up hack and said: " 'Srrr.ke Gold flakes? Yea? Well, there are two tlna of them on rny table. Go back to the battery, and keep your tongues between your teeth. Under* stand?* "We understood. "For five weeka afterwards our battery did nothing but extra fatigues. W? were satisfied and no were the men. It was worth It to put one over on Old Pepper, to any nothing of the Injury caused to Frltx' feelings." When Wilson had finished his story I looked up and the dugout was jammed. An artillery raptaln and two officers hja.d jlso entered and stayed ^ - i _ _ t** r * I New Treatment for Asthma, Catarrh Um Vkk'e "Vap-O-Rnb* Salvo Relievos by tin Inhalation and Abtoipdsn No Domng. ^ Ko need to take internal medicinee or do babit forming drugs for these troubles, me When Vicka "Vajk-Q-Rub" Ralv? w applied poi to the heat of the b< ?lv. sootlniur. medi. Fte catod vapors are released tlmt are Inhaled j urn all uisht long through the air passu pes to'60c viiacsrW? Tor the finish. YriTsbn spat out "an 01 enormous quid of tobheco, looked up. ' saw the egntnjfj, and got as red us a rl carnation. The captain smiled and w left. Wilson whispered to me: "nilnie me. Yank. I see where I click w for crucifixion. That captain Is the f< sumo one that chucked us (loldflakes w In his dugout and here 1 have been bi chucking me weight about In his , hearing.'" 'w Wilson never clicked his crucifixion, th Quite a contrast to Wilson was an- In other character In our brigade named to Scott ; we called him "Old Scotty" on in account of Ills age. He was fifty-seven, m although looking forty. "Old Scotty" i had boon horn in the Northwest and on had served in the Northwest Mounted mi police, tie was a typical cowpuncher , a no Indian fighter and was a dead shot p? with the rifle, and took no pains to S disguise this fart from us. He used to 1 take care of Ids rifle as if It were a >J baby. In his spare moments you could i always see him cleaning It or polish- ? in*- .-*n? i\. *>w?" nciHH' ine innn c who hy mistake happened to get hold I of this rifle*; lu* scon found out his error. Scott wns as denf lis a mule, and it was amusing at parade to watch hini In the manual of arms, slyly glancing out of the corner of his eye at the man next to hirn to see what ' ;i the order was. How he passed the doctor was a mystery to us; he must ; have bluffed his way through, because > U he certainly was Independent. Reside him the Fourth of July looked like Good Friday. lie wore at the time a large sombrero, had a Mexican stock saddle over his shoulder, a lariat on j his arm, and a "forty-five" hanging j from his hip. Humping this parapher- j nulla on the floor he went up to the ' recruiting officer and shouted: "I'm from America, west of the Rockies. and want to join your d d army. I've got no use for a German and can shoot some. At Scotland Yard they turned me down; said I was deaf and so I am. I don't hanker to ship in with n d d mud-crunching outfit, but the cavalry's full, so I guess this regiment's better than none, so vrot out your papers and I'll sign 'em." He told them lie was forty and slipped by. I j ! was on recruiting service ut the time he applied for enlistment. It was Old Scotty's great ambition to he a sniper or "body snatcher," as j ^ Mr. Atkins culls It. The day that he was detailed as brigade sniper he cele- I tr' brnted his appointment by blowing the ! whole platoon to fags. j 80 Itelng a Tank. Old Scotty took a Uk- | 8<> Ing to me and used to spin some great to yarns about the plains, and the whole ! platoon would drink these in and ask w' for more. Ananias was a rookie com- i vc pared with him. I * The ex-plalnsman and discipline ' could not agree, but the officers all w' liked liiin. even If he was h-ir<l to num. I Te ape. so when he was detailed as a t*1 sniper a Blph of relief went up from | * the officers' mess. i *r' Old Seotty had the freedom of the , m brlpadc. He nsed to draw two or ; n< three days' rations and disappear with n' his plass. ranee finder and rifle, and we | would see or hear no more of him i <** until suddenly he would reappear w with a couple of notches added to w those already on the butt of his ritle. tl Every time he pot a Herman It meant it another notch, lie was proud of these ; tl: notches. I ft Hut after a few months Father hi Ithoumnl!.?in pot him and he was sent j tl to Illlphty ; the nlr in the wake of his tr stretcher wan blue with curses. Old Seotty surely could swear; some of Ids j at outbursts actually bnrned you. i wNo doubt, at this writlnp. he is I "somewhere in Bllphty" pussy foot I up tl it on a hrldpe or alone the wall of T some munition plant with the "CI. It." O or Home Defense corps. Ix hi CHAPTER XVII. ? ci Out In Front. ri After tea Lieutenant Slores of our section came into the dugout and in- Sj formed ine that I was "for" a reeonnol- rj terlng patrol and would carry six Mills q bombs. w At 11:30 that night twelve men. our i j lieutenant and myself went out in! cj front on a patrol in No Man's Lund. | r, We cruised around in the dark for ai about two hours. Just knocking about |r looking for trouble, on the lookout for u I'.o< he working parties to see wbut ^ -A they were doing. j f< Around two in the morning toe were bi carefully (ticking our way about thirty yards in front of the German barbed wire, when we walked Into a Boche ? covering party nearly thirty strong. Then the music started, the fiddler rendered his hill, and we paid. Fighting in the dark with a bayonet la not very pleasant. The Germans took it on the ran, but onr officer was tlf no novice at the game and didn't follow them. He gave the order "down on the ground, hug It close." f ^ Just In time, too, because a volley . skimmed over our head* Then In low tones we were told to separate and cra^.1 back to our trenches, each man nl # rUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1918. Bronchitis, , and Head Colds ) lungs. In addition, Tick's is ab-?or h?*<J ough the akin, relieving the tigbta<*?i 1 soreness. rick's can be applied over the throe* and i?t and covered with a warm ttaunn th?or a little put up the noetrile??w re a uwi in a spoon ana innai* in* *% - arising. Also for Asthma and Hiy rer, rob YlckSs well ovt\r tkeepnai ? n to relax the nervous tension i-> i, or $1.00. qasrazzrc i n nis own. We could see the flashes of their fles In the darkness, but the bullets ere going over our heads. N We lost three men killed and one ounded in the nrm. If it hadn't been* >r pu* offleer's quick thinking the hole patrol would have probably pen wiped out. After about twenfr minutes' wnlt we nt out again and discovered that e (Jernums had a wiring purty workg on their barbed wire. We returned our trenches unobserved with the formation and our machine guns Impdiately got l?usy. -4 The next night four men were sent rt to go over and examine the Qer?n barbed wire and see if they had A Hidden Gun. it lunes through it; if so. this prettied un early morning attack on our pnehes. Of course I had to be one of the four looted for the Job. It was Just like ' tiding a fellow to the undertaker's order his own cofTin. At ten o'clock we started out, armed Ith three bombs, a bayonet and reilver. After getting into No Man's tnd we separated. Crawling four or re feet at a time, ducking star shells, Ith strays cracking overhead, I ached their wire. I scouted along is inch by inch, scarcely breathing, could hear them talking in their ench, my lu'art wus pounding against y ribs. One false move or the least ise from me meant discovery and most certain death. After covering my Rector I quietly awled back. I had gotten about half ay when 1 noticed thut my revolver as missing. It was pitch dark. I irned about to see if I could find It; couldn't he far away, because about tree or foyr minutes previously I had 'It the butt in the holster. I crawled round In circles nnd at last found It. len started on my way hack to our enches, as 1 thought. 1'rettv soon I rwirhprf hnrlwwi u'Im id was Just going to give the pnssord when something told me not to. put out my hand and touched one of le barbed wire stakes. It was iron, he ItrltlRh are of wood, while the erinun are Iron. My heart stopped fating; by mistuke 1 had crawled uck to the German lines. I turned slowly about and iny tunic tught on the wire und uiude a loud pplng noise. A sharp challenge rang out. I rang to my feet, ducking low, and in madly back toward our lines. Tho erinans started firing. Tho bullets ere biting all around me, when bang! ran smush into our wire, and u sharp Iflllenire " 'Alt uiKa ? ?w ?" ???-? m fniv niurv r ing out. 1 gasped out the password, ad, groping my way through the tune > the wire, tearing my handa and ntform, I tumbled Into our trench and ns wife, but I wn? a nervous wreck >r an hour, until a drink of rum rought me round. >4 (To be Continued^ Made Cp Mind. Wife?Archibald. my mind Is ( I i\ n im uy. Husband?H<*avens! Ik that arIclal too??I?ndon Ideas. The average man seldom known all at other men think he known, but. a chances are he knows a few Ings he Isn't suspected of know