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About The Bend bulletin. (Bend, Or.) 1903-1931 | View Entire Issue (May 16, 1918)
-rW MCTfB WJlitiTOTV, RKKD, OKJSGON, THURSDAY, MAV HI, Itlll. WEESE "Over the Top" By Aa Ancrlctn Soldier Who Went ARTHUR GUY ENPEY Mathlnt Canntr Siielng In Ftane (Oopjr1&t. M,j AnaorQur Itaw) "On the afternoon of the fourth dny of Frit' contemptuous use of the rond mentioned the captain and I were at our posts ns usunL Frit was strnfe Ing us pretty rough, Just like he's dolnc now. Thtr Bhclls were playing leap frog all through that orchard. MI was carrying on n conversation In our 'tap' code with Cnsscll at tho other end. It ran something like this: "'Say. Cnsscll, how would you like to bo In the saloon bar of the Kino's Arms down ltye lano with a bottle ot Bass In front of you, nnd that blonde hnrmnld waiting to All 'cm up ugaltrf' "Casr.911 had a fancy for that par ticular blonde. The answer came back in the shape of a volley of cusses. I changed tho subject "After a while our talk veered round to the way the Boehcs had been exposing themselves on the road down on the chart ns Target 17. Whnt he said about those Boches would never have passed the relchstng, though I believe It would have gone through our censor easily enough. "Tho bursting shells were making such a din that I packed up talking and took to watching the cnptnln. He was fidgeting around on an old sand bag with the glass to his eye. Occa sionally he would let out a grunt, nnd make some remark I couldn't hear on account of the noise, but I guessed what It was all right. Frltr was get ting fresh again on that road. "Cnsscll had been sending In the 'tap code' to me, but I was fed up and didn't bother with It Then he sent O. &, and I was all attention, for this was a call used between us which meant that something Importnnt was on. I was all ears In an Instant Then Cassell turned loose. "Ton blankcty blank dud, I have been trying to raise yon for fifteen minutes. Wbat'a the matter, are you asleepf (Just as if anyone could have slept In that Infernal racket I) Never mind framing a nasty answer. Just listen.' "'Are yon game for putting some thing over on the Boches and Old Pep per all In oner "I answered that I was game enough when It came to putting It over the Boches, bnt confessed that I had a weakening of the spine, even at the mention of Old Pepper's name. "He came back with, 'It's so 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 I told him to spit out bis scheme. It was so daring and simple that It took my breath nwny. This Is whnt he proposed : "If the Boches should use that road again, to send by the tcp system the target and range. I hnd previously told him about our captain talking out loud ns If he were sending through orders. Well, If this happened, I was to send the dope to Cassell and he would transmit It to the battery com mander ns olllclnlly coming through the observation post Then the bat tery would open up. Afterwords, dur-1 Ing 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 tho road was being used at that time by the Germans. And also It was Impossible for him co give the target range nnd degrees. You know a battery chart is .not passed around among the men like a newspaper from Blighty. From him the Investigation would go to the ob servation post and the observing ofll cer could truthfully swear that I hnd not sent the message by 'phone, and that no orders to Are bad been Issued by him. The Investigators would then be up In the air, we would bo safe, the Boches would receive a good bashing, and we would get our own back on Old Pepper. It was too good to be true. I gleefully fell 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 ngnln and was drumming on the sandbags with his feet At last, turning to me, bo said: "Wilson, this array Is a blankety blank washout What's tho use of hav ing artillery if it is not allowed to fire? The government ut homo ought to bo hanged with somo of their red tape. It's through them that wo have no shells.' "I answered, 'Yes, sir,' and started' sending this opinion over tho wire to Cassell, but tho captain Interrupted mo with: "'Keep those infernal fingers still. Whnt's tho mutter, getting" tho nerves? When I'm tulklng to you, pay atten tion.' "My henrt sank. Supposing he had rumbled thut tupping, then all would bo up with our plan. I stopped drum ming with my fingers and said: " 'Beg your pardon, sir, Just a habit with me.' " 'And a d d silly one, too,' ho an swered, turning to his glasses nguln, and I knew I was safe, IIo hnd not tumbled to tho meaning of that tap ping. "All ut once, without turning round, he exclaimed; " 'Well, of all the ncrvo I've pver run across, this takes tho cake. Tlioso Boches nro using that road again. Blind my eyes, this time It Is u whole brigade of them, transport and air WhKOiiolj!farr KP dTIr M-BV Tho beggars know that wo won't fire. A d d shnine, I call It. Oh, Just for a chanco to turn D 233 loose on them. "I was trembling with excitement. From repented stolen glances at the enptntn's range chart, that road with Its rango was burned Into my mind. "Over the wire I tapped. D 238 bat tery, Target 17, Range tUXX), 3 degrees SO minutes, left, salvo, fire.' Cnsscll O. K.'d my message, and with tho re ceiver pressed against my ear, I wait ed and listened. In n couple of min utes very faintly over tho wire camo tho voice of our battery commander Issuing tho ordor: 'D 23S battery. Salvo I Flrol "Then n roar through the receiver as the four guns belched forth, a screaming nnd whistling overhead, and the shells were on their wny. "Tho cnptnln Jumped as If he were shot and let out a great big expressive 6 n, and eagerly turned his glasses in the direction of tho Gorman rood. ..I.&hro trained 'my eyes watching that inrgct. raur Dincic clouds or dust roso up right in tho middle of the German column. Four direct hits another record for D 238. "The shells kept on whistling over head, and I hnd counted twenty-four of them when tho firing suddenly censed. When the smoke and dust clouds lifted tho destruction on thnt road was awful. Overturned limbers nnd guns, wagons smashed up, troops fleeing In nil directions. The road and roadside wero spotted all over with little field gray dots, the toll of our guns. "The cnptnln. In his excitement, hnd slipped off the snndbng, nnd was on his knees in the mud, the glass still at his eye. Ilo'wns muttering to himself nnd slapping his thigh with his disen gaged hand. At every slnp n big round Juicy cuss word would escape from bis lips followed by: "'Good I Find Marvelous I Pretty Work I Direct bits nil.' "Then he turned to me and shouted : "'Wilson, whnt do you think of It? Did you ever see the like of It In your HfoT D n fine work, I cnll If "Pretty soon a look of wonder stole over his face and he exclaimed: "'But who in h 1 gave them the order to lire. Range and everything correct, too, I know I didn't Wilson, did I give you any order for the bat tery to open up? Of course I didn't did IT "I answered very emphatically, 'No, sir, yon gave no command. Nothing went through this post I nra abso lutely certaln.on that point, sir.' "'Of course nothing went through,' be replied. Then his face fell, and he muttered out loud: "But by Jove, wait till Old Pep per gets wind of this. There'll be fur flying.' Just then Bombardier "Cassell cut In on the wire: "'General's compliments to Cnptnln A , He directs thnt officer and sig naler report at the double to brigade headquarters as soon as relieved. Re lief now on the way.' "In nn undertone to me, "Keep n brass front, Wilson, nnd for God's sake, stick.' I answered with, 'Rely on me, mnte,' but I was trembling nil over. "I gave the general's message to the cnptnln, and started packing up. "The relief arrived, and ns wo left the post the captain said: " 'Now for the fireworks, nnd I know they'll bo good nnd plenty. They were. "When we nrrlved nt the gun pits the battery commander, the sergeant major nnd Cassell were waiting for us. We fell In line nnd the funeral mnrch to brigade headquarters started. "Arriving nt headquarters the bat tery commander was the first to be Interviewed. This wns behind closed doors. From tho roaring nnd explo sions of Old Pepper It sounded ns If raw meat wns being thrown to the lions. Cassell, later, described It us sounding like a bombing rnld. In about two minutes the officer renppeured. Tho Bweat was pouring from his fore head, and bis face was the color of a beet no was speechless. As he passed tho captain he Jerked his thumb In the direction of tho lion's den and went out Then tho captain went In, nnd the lions were once ugnln fed. The captain stayed about twenty min utes and came out I couldn't see his fuce, but the droop )n his shoulders was enough. He looked like n wet hen. "Tho door of the general's room opened and Old Pepper stood In the doorway. With a roar ho shouted: '"Which one of you is Cnsscll? D n roe, get your heels together when I speak 1 Como In here J' "Cassell started to say, 'Yes sir.' "But Old Pepper roured, 'Shut up!' "Cassell camo out in five minutes, ne said nothing, but as he paused mo he put his tongue Into his cheek nnd winked, then, turning to tho closed door, he stuck Ids thumb to his nose and left "Then tho sergeant mnjor's turn enfne. Ho didn't como out our wuy. Judging by tho roaring, Old Pepper must have eaten him. "When the door opened nnd tho gen eral beckoned to me, my knees started to play 'Home, Sweet Homo' against each other. "My Interview wns very short. "Old Pepper glured nt mo when I entered, and then let loose, " 'Of course you don't know anything about It, You'ro Just llko tho rest, Ought to have a nursing bottle around your neck and a nipple In your teeth. Soldiers by gad, you turn my stom ach to look nt you. Win this wiir, when England sends out such samples ns I liavo In my brlgadol Not likely I Now, Mr, tell mo what you don't know about this affair. Speak up, out with it Don't bo gaping at mo llko a fish. Spli It out ""I slnmmercd.VBIr, I knovW Absolute ly nothing.' "That's easy to see,' ho ronred; 'that stupid fnco tells urn thnt. Shut up. Oct out; but I think you nro u d d liar Just tho same. Back to your bnttery.' "I saluted nnd mndo my exit, "That night the cnptnln sent for us. With fenr and trembling wo went to his dugout. He was alone. After sa luting we stood nt attention In front of him nnd waited. Ills sny wns short "'Don't you two over got It Into your bonds thnt Morse Is n dead Inngungo. I've known It for years. Tho two of you hnd bettor get rid of that nervous hnblt of tapping transmitters; It's dan gerous. That's nil.' "We saluted, and wero Just going out the door of the dugout when the enjb tain called up back and snld: "'Smoke Goldflnkes? Yes? Well, there nro two tins of them on my table. Go back to the batter)', and keep your tongue between your tooth. Under stand?' "Wo understood. "For live weeks nftcrwnrds our bnt tery did nothing but extra fatigues. Wo wero satisfied and bo wero tho men. It wns worth it to put one over on Old Pepper, to sny nothing of tho Injury cnusod to Frits' feeling." When Wilson hnd finished his story I looked up nnd tho dugout wns Jnmmed. An artillery cnptnln nnd two officers hnd also entered nnd stnyeil for the finish. Wilson spat nut nn enormous quid of tobneco, looked up, saw the captain, nnd got ns red na n carnation. The cnpatn smiled nnd left Wilson whispered to me: "Bllme me, Ynnk, I see where I click for crucifixion. That cnptnln Is tho same one thnt chucked us Goldllnkcs In his dugout nnd here I have been chucking mo weight ubout In his hearing.' " Wilson never clicked his crucifixion. Quito a contrast to Wilson wns an other chnracter In our brigade nnmed Scott; we called him "Old Scotty" on account of his ago. He wns fifty-seven, although looking forty. "Old Scotty" hnd been born In the Northwest nnd had served In the Northwest Mounted police. He wns a typtcn! cowpuncher and Indian fighter and was a dead shot with the rifle, and took no pains to dlsgulso this fact from us. no used to inuc caro or nis rmo ns ir It were a baby. In his sparo moments you could always seo him cleaning It or polish ing tho stock. Woe betldo the roan who by mistake happened to get hold of this rifle; ho soon found out his error. Scott wns ns deaf ns n mule, and it wns amusing at pnrndc to watch him In tho mnnunl of arms, slyly glancing out of tho corner of him eye nt the man next to him to seo whnt tho order was. How he paused tho doctor was n mystery to us; ho must have bluffed his way through, because he certainly wns Independent Beside him tho Fourth of July looked llko Good Frldny. He wore at the time a large sombrero, had n Mexican stock saddle over his shoulder, n Inrlnt on his nrm, nnd n "forty-flve" hnnglng fropi his hip. Dumping this parapher nalia on tho floor be went up to tho recruiting officer nnd shouted: "I'm from America, west of the Rockies, nnd wnnt to Join your d d nrmy. I've got no use for it Gorman nnd can shoot some. At Scotland Ynrd thov turned me down : snld I wns deuf nnd I so I um. I don't hanker to ship In with n d d mud-cru'iehlnK outfit but the cnvulry's full, I guess this regi ment's better than none, so trot out your pnpers nnd I'll sign 'em." IIo told them ho was forty nnd slipped by. I wns on recruiting service at the time ho applied for enlistment. It whb Old Scotty's great ambition to be a sniper or "body snntcher," ns Mr. Atkins calls It. Tho dny that ho was detailed as brlgudo sniper ho cele brated his appointment by blowing tho whole platoon to fugs. Being a Ynnk, Old Scofty took a lik ing to me nnd used to spin somo great yarns about the plains, nnd the whole platoon would drink these In and ask for more. Ananias was u rookie com pared with him. Tho ex-plalnsmnn nnd discipline could not agree, but tho olllcera nil liked him, even If he was hard to man age, so when ho was detailed as n sniper a sigh of relief went up from tho officers' mess. Old Scotty had tho freedom of tho brlgude. He used to druw two or three days' rations nnd disappear with his glass, range finder nnd rifle, nnd wo would seo or hear no moro of hi in until suddenly ho would reappear with n couple of notches added to thoso already on tho butt of his rifle. Every time ho got n German It meant another notch. IIo was proud of these notches. But nftcr n few months Father Rheumatism got him nnd he wns sent to Blighty; tho nlr In tho wnko of his stretcher wns bluo with curses. Old Scotty surely could swear; homo of his outbursts actually burned you, No doubt, at this writing, ho Is "somewhere In Blighty" pussy footing It on a brldgo or along tho wall of somo munition plant with tho "G. II." or Homo Defense corps. 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