"All at once, without turning 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 we won't fire. A damned 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, Target Seventeen, Range 6000, three degrees, thirty minutes, left, Salvo, Fire.' Cassell O. E.'d my message, and with the receiver pressed against my ear, I waited and listened. In a couple of minutes very faintly over the wire came the voice of our Battery Commander issuing the order: 'D 238 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 'Damn,' 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, 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 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? Damn fine work, I call it.' "Pretty soon a look of wonder stole over his face, and he exclaimed: "'But who in hell gave them the order to fire. Range and everything correct, too. I know I didn't. Wilson, did I give you any order for the Battery to open up? Of course, I didn't, did I?' "I answered very emphatically, 'No, sir, you gave no command. Nothing went through this post. I am absolutely 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 Pepper 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 report at the double to Brigade Headquarters as soon as relieved. Relief is now on the way.'