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Show plf AN AM08GVN SOLPIER 4" WHO WENT n iAHIIIID (iUYOTEY & MAOilN E GUm.OTNG IN FRANCE" t:'i I t)i?i7BY ARTH!J.'?avtn.ry TWO ARTILLERYMEN "PUT ONE OVER" ON OLD PEPPER, REGIMENTAL COMMANDER. Synopsis. Fired by the sicking of the LusiUmia, with the loss of AiiK'rican lives, Arthur Guy Empey, mi American living in Jersey City, cues to England and enlists as a private in I lie r.ritish army. After a liort experience as a recruiting oflicor in London, he is sent to training train-ing quarters in France, where he first hears the sound of big guns and makes the acquaintance of "cooties." After a brief period of training Kiupey's company is sent into the frnnt-lhie trenches, where he takes his lirst turn on the tire step while the bullets whiz overhead. Empey learns, as comrade falls, that death lurks always lu the trenches. Chaplain distinguishes himself by rescuing wounded men under hot fire. With pick and shovel Empey has experience as a trench digger in No Man's Land. Exciting experience on listening post detail. Exciting Ex-citing work on observation post duty. CHAPTER XVI Continued. 12 "Cassell bad n fancy for that pnr-tiruinr pnr-tiruinr blonde. The answer came back in the shape of a volley of cusses. 1 cl:-uige( the subject. "After a while our tnlk veered Mmitl to the way the Boches had been .'Xosing themselves on the road down ..ii the chart as Target 17. What he sai.5 about those F.oches would never liive passed the reichstag. though I liu'.iive it would have gone through oar censor easily enough. "The bursting shells were making fich a din that I packed up talking ami took to watching the captain. He fidgeting around on an old sandbag sand-bag with the glass to his eye. Occasionally Occa-sionally he would let out a grunt, and iiiiike some remark I couldn't hear on a.vnnnt of the noise, but I guessed what it was all right. Fritz was getting get-ting fresh again on that road. "Cassell had been sending in the 'tap oode' to me, but I was fed up and didn't bother with it. Then he sent 0. S., and I was all attention, for this was a call used between us which lwant that something important was ' n. I was all ears in an instant. Then Cassell turned loose. '"Ton blankety blank dud, I have been trying to raise you for fifteen minutes. What's the matter, are you asleep?' (Just as if anyone could l:ave slept in that infernal racket!) 'Never mind framing a nasty answer. Just listen.' " 'Are you game for putting something some-thing over on the Boches and Old Pepper Pep-per all in one?' "X answered that I was game enough v'hen it came to putting it over the Boches, but confessed that I had a weakening of the spine, even at the mention of Old Pepper's name. "lie came back with, 'It's so absurdly absurd-ly easy and simple that there is no chance of the old heathen rumbling it. Anyway, if we're caught, I'll take the blame.' "Under these condition 1 told him to 'pit out his aeheme. It was so daring and simple that it took my breath away. This la what he proposed : "If the Boches should use that road again, to send by the tap system the target and range. I had previously told him about our captain talking out l"ud as if ho were sending through orders. Well, if this happened, I was to send the dope to Casscll and he would transmit it to the battery commander com-mander as officially coming through 'be observation post. Then the battery bat-tery would open up. Afterwards, dur-'n? dur-'n? the investigation, Cassell would wear he received it direct. They would have to relieve him, because it was impossible from his post in the battery dugout to know that the road "as being used at that time by the Germans. And also it was impossible ffr him to give the target, range and degrees. You know a battery chart is n"t passed around among the men like a newspaper from Blighty. From him 'U- investigation would go to the oh-f;.-rvntion post, and the observing oilier oili-er could truthfully swear that I had tjot sent the message by 'phone, and ''at no orders to fire had been issued ' 5' him. The investigators would then 'e up in the air, we would be safe, the inches would receive a good bashing, and we would get our own back on Old ''epper. Jt was too good to be true. I Kleefuy Tell in with the scheme, and. told Cassell I was his meat. "Then I waited with beating heart and watched the captain like a hawk. "He was beginning to fidget again nd was drumming on the sandbags with his feet. At last, turning to me, be said : "'Wilson, this army is a blankety blank washout. What's the use of having hav-ing artillery if 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.' "I answered, 'Yes, sir,' and started sending this opinion over the wire to Cassell. 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.' atten-tion.' "My heart sank. Supposing lie had rumbled that tapping, then all would be up with our plan. I stopped drumming drum-ming with my lingers and said: " 'Beg your pardon, sir, just a habit with me.' , , " 'And a d d silly one, too,' he answered, an-swered, turning to his glasses again, and I knew I was safe. lie had not tumbled to the meaning of that tapping. tap-ping. "All at once, without turrling round, 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 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 D 238 loose on them.' "I was trembling with excitement. From repeated stolen glances at the captain's range chart, that road with its range was burned into my mind. "Over the wire I tapped, 'D 238 battery, bat-tery, Target 17, Range GOOO, 3 degrees 30 minutes, left, salvo, fire.' Cassell O. K.'d my message, and with the receiver re-ceiver pressed against my ear, I waited wait-ed and listened. In a couple of minutes min-utes very faintly over the wire came the voice of our battery commander Issuing the order: 'D 23S battery. Salvo! Fire!' "Then a roar through the receiver as the four guns belched forth, a screaming and whistling overhead, and the shells were on their way. "The captain jumped as if he were shot, and let out a great big expressive d 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 of the German column. Four direct hits another record for D 238. "The shells kept on whistling overhead, over-head, and I had counted twenty-four of them when the firing suddenly ceased. When the smoke and dust clouds lifted the destruction on that road was awful. Overturned limbers and guns, wagons smashed up, troops fleeing in all directions. The road and 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 disen-gaged hand. At every slap a big round juicy cuss word would escape from his lips followed by: "'Good! Fine! Marvelous! Pretty Work ! Direct hits all." "Then he turned to me and shouted: '"Wilson, what do you think of It? Did you ever see the like of it In your life? D n fine work, I call It.' "Fretty soon a look of wonder stole over his face and he exclaimed: " 'But who in h 1 gave them the older to lire. Range and everything correct, too. I know I didn't. Wilson, did I give you any order for the battery bat-tery to open up? Of course I didn't, did I?' "I biLSfvured very emphatically, 'No, sir, you gave no command. Nothing w-ent through this post. I am absolutely abso-lutely 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 Tep-per Tep-per gets wind of this. There'll be fur flying.' Just then Bombardier Cassell cut In on the wire: "'General's compliments to Captain A . He directs that officer and signaler sig-naler report at the double to brigade headquarters as soon as relieved. Relief Re-lief now on the way.' "In an undertone to mo, 'Keep a brass front. Wilson, and for God's sake, stick.' I answered with, 'Rely on me. mate,' but I was trembling all over. "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 pits the battery commander, the sergeant major and Cassell were waiting for us. We fell in line and the funeral march to brigade headquarters started. "Arriving at headquarters the battery bat-tery commander was the first to be Interviewed. This was behind closed doors. From the roaring and explosions explo-sions cf Old Pepper" it sounded as if raw meat was being thrown to the lions. Cassell, later, described it as sounding like a bombing raid. In about two minutes the officer reappeared. The sweat was pouring from his forehead, fore-head, and his face was the color of a beet. lie was speechless. As he passed the captain he Jerked his thumb in the direction of the lion's den and went out. Then the captain went in, and the lions were once again fed. The captain stayed about twenty minutes min-utes and came out. I couldn't see his ff.ce, but the droop in bis shoulders was enough. lie looked like a wet hen. "The door of the general's room opened and Old Pepper stood in the doorway. With a roar he shouted: "'Which one of you is Cassell? D n me, get your heels together when I speak! Come in here!' "Cassell started to say, 'Yes sir.' "But Old Pepper roared, 'Shut up!' "Cassell came out In five minutes, lie said nothing, but as he. passed me lie put Ids tongue into his cheek and winked, then, turning to the closed door, be stuck his thumb to his nose and left. "Then the sergeant major's turn came. He didn't come out our. way. Judging by the roaring, Old Pepper must have eaten him. "When the door opened and the general gen-eral beckoned to me, my knees started to play 'Home, Sweet Home' against each other. "My interview was 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 stom-ach to look at you. Win this war, when England sends out such samples as I have in my brigade! Not likely! Now, sir, tell me what yon don't know about this affair. Speak up, out with it. Don't be gaping at me like a fish. Spit it out.' "I stammered, 'Sir, I know absolutely absolute-ly nothing.' " 'That's easy to see,' he roared ; 'that stupid face tells me that. Shut jp. Get out; but I think you are a d d liar just the same. Back to your battery.' "I saluted and made my exit. "That night the captain sent for us. With fear and trembling we went to his dugout. He was alone. After saluting sa-luting we stood at attention in front of him and waited. His say was short. '"Don'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 tapping transmitters; it's dangerous. dan-gerous. That's all.' "We saluted, and were just going out the door of the dugout when the captain cap-tain called up back and said: "'Smoke Goldflakes? Yes? Well, there are two tins of them on my table. Go back to the battery, and keep your tongues between your teeth. Understand Under-stand ?' "We understood. "For five weeks afterwards our battery bat-tery did nothing but extra fatigues. We were satisfied and so were the men. It was worth It to put one over on Old Pepper, to say nothing of the injury caused to Fritz' feelings." When Wilson had finished his story I looked up and the dugout was jammed. An artillery captain nnd two officers had also entered and stayed for the finish. Wilson spat out an enormous quid of tobacco, looked up, saw the captain, and got as red as a carnation. The captain smiled and left. Wilson whispered to me: "Ellme me, Yank, I see where I click for crucifixion. That captain is the same one that chucked us Goldflakes In his dugout and here I have been 'chucking me weight about In his hearing.' " Wilson never clicked his crucifixion. Empey tells of a narrow escape es-cape in the next installment. (TO BE CONTINUED.) |