| Show to w TT ak jrr 4 A 4 v 11 AV A A JUS X 0 T MUN AT 1010 WEN I 1 th itcy f T MACHINE FRANCE JA g 1917 BY MUR WY t TWO artillerymen ARTILLERY MEN PUT ONE OVER ON OLD PEPPER regimental COMMANDER synopsis fired by the sinking making of the lusitania with the loss or of american lives arthur guy empey an american living in jersey city goes to england and enlists us its a private in tho the british army after a short experience as a recruiting officer in london he Is sent to training quarters in france where he first farsi hears the sound of big guns and makes the flie acquaintance of booties cooties co oties otles after a brief period of training empens Eni company Is sent into the front line trenches where he be takes tits his first turn on the fire step while the bullets whiz overhead empey learns leams as aa comrade falls that death lurks always in the trenches chaplain distinguishes himself by rescuing wounded men under lot hot fire with pick and shovel empey has experience as a trench digger in no mans land exciting experience on listening post detail exciting work on observation post duty CHAPTER XVI continued I 1 cassell had bad a fancy for that particular blonde the answer came back in the shape of a volley of cusses I 1 changed the subject after a while our talk veered round to the way the boches had been exposing themselves on ti the e road down on the chart as target 17 what he said said about those bodies would never have passed the reichstag though I 1 believe it would have gone through our censor easily enough the bursting shells were making such a din that I 1 packed up talking and took to watching the captain lie ile was fidgeting around on an old sandbag with the glass to tits his eye occasionally sio nally he would let out a grunt and make some remark I 1 hear on account of the noise but I 1 guessed what it was all right fritz wits was getting fresh again on that road cassell had been sending in the tap code to me but I 1 was fed up and bother with it then he sent 0 S and I 1 was nil all attention for this was a call used between us waith meant that something important was on I 1 was all ears bars in an instant then cassell turned loose you blon kety blank dud I 1 have been trying to raise you for fifteen minutes the matter are you asleep just as if anyone could have slept in that infernal rack rocket etl 1 never mind framing a nasty answer just listen are you game for putting something over on the boches and old pepper all in one 1 I answered that I 1 was game enough when it came to putting it over ill the boches but confessed that I 1 had a weakening of the spine even at the mention of old peppers name he came back with its so absurdly easy and simple that there is no chance of the old heathen rumbling it anyway it if were caught ill take the blame under these condition I 1 told him to spit out his scheme it was so daring and simple that it took my breath away this is what he proposed bif if the boches bochas should use that road again to send by the tap system the target and range I 1 had previously told him about our captain talking out loud as it if lie he were sending th through rough orders well if this happe happened nedI I 1 was to send the dope to cassell 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 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 tor for him film to give the target range and degrees ie Je grees you know a battery chart Is tot lot passed around among the men like i newspaper from blighty from him lie he investigation would go to the ob erv atlon post and the observing er could truthfully swear that I 1 had biot ot sent the message by phone find and hat no orders to fire had been issued ay y him the investigators would then be up in the air we would be safe the boches would receive it a good bashing ind we would get our own back on old pepper it wits was too good to be true gleefully fell tn in with the scheme tind nd told cassill cassell I 1 wits was his meat then I 1 waited alth beating he heart art nd ind watched the captain like n hawk he was beginning to fidget again ind and was drumming on the sandbags sandbars sand bags with his feet at last turning to me ie s said ald wilson Wl lson this arnay army is a blank washout the use of having artill artillery ery it if it ignot not allowed to fire the government at ho home me 0 ought to be banged with some of their red tape lva iti through them that we anve have no 1 I answered yes sir 1 nuu started sending lending this opinion over the wire to gassell Sass cl but the captain interrupted no with keep those internal infernal fingers finders still outs the ae matter peung the when im talking to you pay attention my aly heart sank supposing he had rumbled that tapping then all would be up with wi thour our plan I 1 stopped drumming with my fingers and said beg your pardon sir just a habit with me 11 and a d d silly one too lie he answered turning to his glasses agate again and I 1 knew I 1 was safe he had not tumbled to the meaning of that tapping all at once without turning round he exclaimed 11 well of nil all the nerve ive ever run acro across ss this takes the cake those boches are using that road blind my eyes this time it Is a whole brigade of them transports and till all what a pretty target for our 4 as 1 the beggars know that we wont fire A d d shame I 1 call it oh just for a chance to turn D loose on them 1 I was trembling with excitement from repeated stolen glances atthe at the capt captains range chart that road with its range was burned into my mind over the wire I 1 tapped ID battery target 17 range 3 degrees 30 10 minutes left salvo fire cassell 0 K ad d my message and with the receiver pressed against my ear I 1 waited and listened in a couple of minutes very faintly over the wire came the voice of our battery commander issuing the order D battery salvo firel then a roar through the receiver as the four guns belched forth a screaming anming and whistling overhead and an d the we shells were on their way the captain jumped as if he were hot and let out a great big expressive d n and eagerly turned his glasses in the direction of the german road 1 I alo iso strained my eyes ees watching that target four black clouds of dust rose up tip right in the middle of the german co column lunin four direct hits another record for D the shells kept on whistling overhead and I 1 had counted twenty four of them when the firing suddenly ceased when the and dust clouds lifted the destruction on that road was awful overturned limbers and guns wagons smashed up troops droops fleeing in all directions the road and roadside roid sIde were spotted all over with little uld 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 ile he was muttering to himself and slapping his big thigh with his disengaged hand at every slap n big round juicy cuss word would escape from his lips followed by good finel Marve loust pretty work I 1 direct hits bits all then he turned to me and shouted s hou ted Wl lson what do you think of it did you ever see the like of it lu in your lifts D n fine work I 1 call it pretty soon a look of wonder stole over his face and he be exclaimed but who in h I 1 gave gace them the order to fire range and everything correct too I 1 know I 1 wilson did I 1 give you any order for the battery to open up of course I 1 did 17 I 1 11 1 I answered very emphatically wo no sir lr you pave gave no command nothing went through this post I 1 am absolutely certain on that point sir of course nothing went th through roligh he replied then his face fell and he muttered out loud but by jove wait waft ull till old pepper gets wind of cf this therell be fur flying just then bombardier clasell cut in on the wire generals genc rals compliments to captain A ile he directs that officer and signaler report at the double to brigade headquarters as soon as relieved relief now on the way in an undertone to me keep v n brass front wilson and for gods sake suck I 1 answered with rely on me mate but ut I 1 was trembling all over 1 I gave the generals message to the captain and started packing up lip tile the relief arrived and as we lert left the the captain said I 1 now for the hie fireworks fireworks and I 1 know jenow be good and 1 plenty enty they aey were when we arrived at the gun pits pita the battery commander the sergeant major und and cassell were waiting for us we fell in line and the funeral march to brigade headquarters started arriving at headquarters the hattery hatters commander wits was the first to be interviewed tills flits was behind closed doors from the lie roaring tint and explosions of old popper r it sounded as it if raw law ineat was wag being thrown to the lions cassell later described it as sounding like a bombing 9 raid in about two minutes the officer reappeared the sweat aps pouring from ills his forehead a biml tits his file face was the color of a beet lie ile wits was speechless lits As lia ho passed the captain be jerked ills thumb in n the direction of the lions den and went out then the captain went in and the llona lions were once again fed the captain stayed about twenty minutes ond and edme out I 1 see its face but the droop in ills his shoulders wits was enough lie ile looked like a wet lien hen the door of the generals general room opened and old pepper stood in the doorway with a roar lie he shouted which one of you Is cassell cassall D n roe me get your heels together when I 1 speak I 1 come in here cassell started to say yes sir but old pepper roared shut cupl cassell came out in five minutes ile he said nothing but as lie he passed me lie he put tits his tongue into ills his cheek check and winked then turning to the closed door lie he stuck his thumb to his nose and left then the sergeant majors turn came he come out our way judging by the roaring old pepper must have eaten him when the door opened and the general beckoned to me my knees started to play home sweet home against edan betich other my interview was very short old pepper glared at me when I 1 entered and then let loose of course you dont know anything about it youre just like the rest ought to have a nursing bottle around your neck and a nipple in your teeth soldiers Sold lers by gad you turn my stomach to look at you win this war when england sends out such samples as I 1 have in my brigade 1 I 1 not likely I 1 now sir tell me what you dont know about this affair speak up out with it dont be gaping at me like a fish spit it out 1 I stammered sir I 1 know absolutely nothing 11 easy to see he roared that stupid face tells me th that 11 t shut up got get out gut but I 1 think you tire are a il d liar just the same back to your battery 1 I saluted and ninde made my exit that night the captain sent for us with fear and fir trembling embling we went to tits his dugout he was alone after saluting we stood at attention tit in front of him and waited his say was short dont you two ever get it into your heads that morse is a lead dead language ive known it for years the two of you had better get rid of that nervous habit of tapping transmitters its dangerous all we saluted and were just going out th the e door of the dugout when the captain called up back and said smoke Gold flakes yes well there are two tins of them on my table go back to the battery and keep your tongues between your teeth understand we understood for five weeks necks afterwards our battery did nothing but extra fri 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 r when wilson had finished ills his story I 1 looked up and the dugout was jammed an artillery captain and 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 blime me yank I 1 see where I 1 click that captain Is the same one that chucked us Gold flakes in ills his dugout and here I 1 have been chucking me weight about in his hearing bearing 11 wilson never clicked tits his crucifixion empey tells of a narrow cs ce caps cape in the tha next installment TO PE BE CONTINUED |
