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m -■ =*!
“Over the Top”
By An American Soldier
Who Went
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY
Machine Gunner Serving In France
(Copyright, WIT, by Arthur Qay Bmpey)
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I—Fired by the news of the
■Inking of the Lusitania by a German
submarine, Arthur Guy Empey, an Ameri
can, leaves his office In Jersey City and
goes to England where he enlists In the
British army.
CHAPTER IT—After a period of train
ing, Empey volunteers for Immediate serv
ice and soon finds himself In rest billets
“somewhere In France," where he first
makes the acquaintance of the ever-pres
ent “cooties."
CHAPTER III—Empey attends his first
church services at the front while a Ger
man Fokker circles over the congregation.
CHAPTER IV—Empey's command goes
Into the front-line trenches and Is under
fire for the first time.
CHAPTER V—Empey learns to adopt
the motto of the Brtlsh Tommy, “If you
are going to get It, you’ll get It, so never
worry.’’
CHAPTER VI—Back In rest billets, Em
pey gets his first experience as a mess
orderly.
CHAPTER VII—Empey learns how the
British soldiers are fed. j
CHAPTER VIII—Back In the front-line
trench, Empey sees his first friend of the
trencheB "go West.”
CHAPTER IX—Empey makes his first
visit to a dugout in "Suicide Ditch."
CHAPTER X—Empey learns what con
stitutes a "day's work" In the front-line
trench.
CHARTER XI—Empey goes “over the
top" for the first time In a charge on the
German trenches and is wounded by a
bayonet thrust. ,
CHAPTER XIII—Each Tommy gets
an official bath.
CHAPTER XIV—Empey helps dig
an advanced trench under German
fire.
CHAPTER XV—On “listening post”
in No Man’s Land.
CHAPTER XVI—Two artillerymen
“put one over” on Old Pepper, their
regimental commander.
“In tlTe observation post the officer
used to sit for hours with a powerful
pair of field glasses to his eyes.
Through a cleverly concealed loophole
he would scan the ground behind the
German trenches, looking for targets
and finding many. Thiff officer, Cap
tain A- by name, had a habit of
talking out loud to himself. Some
times 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
approved 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 hod brought compa
nies 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 the range for each. These land
marks are called tnrgets, and nre num
bered. On our battery’s chart, that
road was called ‘Target 17, Range
6000, .3 degrees .30 minutes left.’ D 2.38
battery consisted of four ‘4.5’ howit
zers. and fired a 35-pound H. E. shell.
As you know, H. E. means ‘high ex
plosive.’ I don't like bumming up my
own battery, but we had a record in
the division for direct hits, and our
boys were just pining away for a
chance to exhibit their skill in the
eyes of Fritz? ...
“On the afternoon of the fourth day
of Fritz’ contemptuous use of the road
mentioned the captain and I were at
our posts as usual. Fritz was strafe
ing us pretty rough, just like he’s doing
now. The shells were playing leap
frog all through that orchard.
“I was carrying on a conversation
in our ‘tap’ code with Cassell at the
other end. If ran something like this:
“‘Say, Cassell, how would you like
to be In the saloon bar of the King’s
Arms down Rye lane with a bottle of
Bbss In front of you. and that blonde
barmaid waiting to till 'em up again?’
“Cassell had a fancy for that par
ticular blonde. The answer came hack
In the shape of n volley of cusses. 1
changed the subject.
“After a while our talk veered
round to the way the Roches had been
exposing themselves on the road down
on the Chart as Target 17. What he
said about those Roches would never
have passed the relchstag. though I
believe It would hnve gone through
our censor easily enough.
“The bursting shells were making
such n din that I packed up talking
and took to watching the captnin. He
was fidgeting around on an old sand
ing with the glass to his eye. Occa
sionally he would let out a grunt, and
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.
“Cassell had been sending In the ‘tap
nn/lo' t n mo t __ « i .
-* wui * »»an iru up <4*1' I
didn’t bother .with It. Then he sent
O. S., and I was all attention, for this
was a call used between us which
meant that something important was
on. 1 was all ears In an Instant. Then
Cassell turned loose.
" ‘Yon hlankety blank dud, I have
been trying to raise’ you for fifteen
minutes. What’s the matter, are you
asleep?’ (Just as If anyone could
have slept in that infernal racket!)
‘Never mind framing a nasty answer.
Just listen.’
Are J6u game for putting some
thing over on the Boches and Old Pep
per all in one?’
‘‘I answered that I was game enough
when 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.
"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 his scheme. It was so daring
and simple that It took my breath
awmy. This Is 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
loud as 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 as officially coming through
the observation post. Then the bat
tery would open up. Afterwards, dur
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 the road
was being vised nt that time by the
Germans. And also it was impossible
for him to give the target, range and
degrees, You know a battery chart is
not p&ssed around among the men like
a newspaper from Blighty. From him
the investigation would go to the ob
servation post, and the observing offi
cer could truthfully swear that I had
not sent the message by ’phone, and
that no orders to fire had been Issued
by him. The investigators would then
be up In the air, we would be safe, the
Boches would receive a good hashing,
nnd 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 again
and was drumming on the sandbags
with his feet. At last, turning to me,
he said:
“‘Wilson, this army is a biankety
blank washout. What’s the use of 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.'
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 atten
tion.’
“My heart sank. Supposing he had
rumbled that tapping, then all would
be 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,’ he an
swered, turning to his glasses again,
and 1 knew I was safe. He had not
tumbled to the meaning of that tap
ping.
“All at once, without turning round,
he exclaimed:
“ ‘Well, of all the nerve I’ve ever fun
across, this takes the cake. Those
-- Boehes 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 bat
tery, Target 17, Range 6000, 3 degrees
30 minutes, left, salvo, fire.’ Cassell
O. K.’d my message, and with the re
ceiver pressed agHlnst my ear. I wait
ed and listened. In a couple of min
utes very faintly over the wire came
the voice of our battery commander
Issuing the order: ‘D 238 battery
Salvo 1 Fire!’
“Then a roar through the receive!
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
*1-n- nnd 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 2,'tS.
“The shells kept on whistling over
head, and I had counted twenty-four
of them when the firing suddenly
censed. 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
ana slapping his thigh with his 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.’
"Pretty soon a.look of wonder stole
over his face and he exclaimed:
“ ‘But who in h—1 gave them the
order to fire. Range and everything
correct, too. I know I didn’t. Wilson,
did 1 give you any order for the bat
tery to open up? Of course I didn’t,
did I?’
“T answered very emphatically, ‘Xo,
sir, you gave no command. Nothing
went throuf^i this post. I am 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 Pep
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 sig
naler report at the double to brigade
headquarters as soon as relieved. Re
lief now on the way.’
“In an undertone to me, ‘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.
I "The relief arrived, and as we left
the post the captain said:
! “ ‘Now for the fireworks, nnd 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 nnd the funeral march
| to brigade headquarters started.
“Arriving at headquarters the bat
tery commander was the first to be
Interviewed. This was behind closed
doors. From the roaring and explo
sions of 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 fore
i head, and his face was the color of a
beet. Ho 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 min
utes and came out. , I couldn’t see his
face. Imt the droop in his shoulders
was enough. He 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 PeDuer roared. ‘Shut un!’
"Cassell canie out In five minutes.
He said nothing, but as he passed me
he put his tongue into his cheek and
i winked, then, turning to the closed
door, he 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 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 hottle around
your neck and a nipple in your teeth.
Soldiers—by gad, you turn my stom
ach to look at you. Win this war,
when England sends out such samples
as 1 have In my brigade! Not likely!
Now, sir. tell me what you don’t know
I 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 absolute
ly nothing.’
“ ‘That’s easy to see,’ he roared;
•that stupid face tells me that. Shut
{ up. 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 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 tapptug transmitters; It’s dan
gerous. That’s all.’
“We saluted, and were just going out
the door of the dugout when the cap
tain called up buck and said:
“‘Smoke Gdldflakes? Yes? Well,
there are two tins of them oh my table.
Go back to the battery, and keep your
I
tongues between your teeth. Under*
stand?’
“We understood.
“For five weeks ofterwnrds our 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 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:
"Bllme me, Yank. I see where I click
for crucifixion. That captnln Is the
camn nno t ..V*. •.1 .... d . i 1 o ■
--- w.Hvnvu u.-i viuiuuuarrn
In his dugout* and here 1 have beeni
■chucking me weight about in hiw
hearing.’ ”
Wilson never clicked his crucifixion.
Quite a contrast to Wilson was an
other character In our brigade namedi
Scott; we called him “Old Scotty” on|
account of his age. He*was fifty-seven,]
although looking forty. “Old Scotty”]
had been born In the Northwest andj
had served In the Northwest Mounted)
police. He was a typical eowpuncher*
and Indian fighter and was a deud shot!
with the rifle, and took no pains to
disguise this fact from us. He used to
take care of his rifle as If It were a
baby. In his spare moments you could
always see him cleaning it or pollsb-i
Ing the stock. Woe betide the man(
who by mistake happened to get holdi
of this rifle; he soon found out hisi
error. Scott was as deaf as a mule.)
and it was amusing at parade to watch
him In the manual of arras, slylyl
glancing out of the corner of his eye
at the man next to him to see what I
the order was. How he passed thoi
doctor was a mystery to us; he must)
have bluffed his way through, because
hg certainly was independent. Beside
him the Fourth of July looked like
Good Friday. He wore at the time »i
large sombrero, had a Mexican stock
saddle over his shoulder, a lariat oni
his arm, and a “forty-five” hanging;
from his hip. Dumping this parapher
nalia on the floor he went up to th<»i
recruiting officer and shouted: “Fmi
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'
a d-d mud-crunching outfit, but th»J
cavalry’s full, so I guess this regj-j
ment’s better than none, so trot ontj
your papers and I’ll sign ’em.” He told!
them he was forty and slipped by. II
was on recruiting service at the timed
he applied for enlistment.
It was Old Scotty’s great ambition)
to be a sniper or “body snatcher,” a.-*!
Mr. Atkins calls it. The day that het
was detailed as brigade sniper he cele
brated his appointment by blowing thel
whole platoon to fags.
Being a Yank. Old Scotty took a lik-i
ing to me and used to spin some great]
yarns about the plains, and the whole]
plntoon would drink these in and askj
for more. Ananias was a rookie com-t
pared with him. *
The ex-plainsman and discipline!
could not agree, but the officers all!
liked him, even if he was hard to man-j
uge. so when he was detailed ns a!
sniper a sigh of relief went up from]
the officers’ mess.
Old Scotty had the freedom of thaj
brigade. He used to draw two ori
three days’ rations and disappear with!
his glass, range finder and rifle, aud we(
would see or hear no more of him)
until suddenly he would reappear)
with a couple of notches added tdj
those already on the butt of his riile.
Every time he got a German it meant]
another notch. lie was proud of these!
notches.
But after a few months Father!
Rheumatism got him and he was sentj
to Blighty; the air in the wake of his)
stretcher was blue with curses. Old)
Scotty surely could swear; some of hls|
outbursts actually burned you.
No doubt, at this writing, he lai
“somewhere in Blighty” pussy footing)
it on a bridge or along the wall of)
some munition plant with the “G. R.")
or Home Defense corps.
CHAPTER XVII.
Out In Front.
After tea Lieutenant Stores of our]
section came into the dugout and in
formed me that I was “for” a reconnoH
tering patrol and would carry six Millsl
bombs.
At 1.1:30 that night twelve men. our|
lieutenant and myself went out Ini
front on a patrol in No Man’s Lund.
We cruised around in the dark fori
about two hours, just knocking about!
looking for trouble, on the lookout for
Boche working parties to see what
they were doing.
Around two in the morning we were
carefully picking 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 ren
dered his bill, and we paid.
Fighting in the dark with a bayonet
Is not very pleasant. The Germans
took It on the run, but our officer was
no novice at the game and didn’t fol
low them. He gave the order "down
on the ground, hug it close.”
Just In time, too, because a volley
skimmed over our heads. Then In low
tones we were told to separate and
crawl back to our trenches, each man
on his own.
We could see the flashes of their
rifles in the darkness, but the bullets
were going over our heads.
We lost three men killed and one
wounded In the arm. If it hadn’t beeu
for our officer’s quick thinking the
whole patrol would have probably
been wiped out.
(To be Continued)
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