Madisonville High School - Annual Yearbook (Madisonville, OH)

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Director, Prof. Joseph Surdo Violet Peacock, First Violm George Peacock, First Violin Mildred Irwin, First Violin Frances Struble, Piano Willard Hunt, Ham Carlin Elliot, Ham Charles Merry, Flute Neil McElroy, Flute Paul McElroy, Clarinet 56 Ora Dunning, Saxophone Leslie Irwin, Second Violin Herschel Coutz, Second Violin Francis Freeman, First Comet Joseph Cochran, First Comet George Dunning, Trombone Clarence Irwin, Bass Arthur Baker, Drums Edmund Reily, Second Comet

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4.39 THE RANGE-FINDER IEUTENANT Herman Von Tesler smiled contentedly to himself as day broke over the eastern hills. He thrust his head carefully from under the kindly haystack that hid him from unfriendly eyes and took a first rapid survey of his position by daylight. To the west, following a low, far-flung ridge, ran the trenches of the Allies, skirting the village of Me, and extending away toward the north to the Bois forests. The first line of the net- work of trenches was hardly two hundred meters from him and in excellent position for the perfect observation of every move made during the day. A series of short passageways cormected the first trench with the more elaborate and perfected defenses that breasted the slope. The lieutenant had good reason to smile with satis- faction. The arduous work of two weeks had culminated at last in giving him a good vantage point from which he could observe this center of the Allies' strength and direct the fire of the huge German howitzers upon it with a certain, devastating effect. The wire of the field telegraph running from the haystack across the fields and hills to the German lines, five miles away, was the only link between him and his comrades-a thin, fragile link, but one of dreadful capabilities and 0f awful might in his hands. He slipped back under his haystack and munched a cold breakfast from his haversack, washing it down with draughts of cold water from his canteen. After appeasing his hunger, he carefully made a small aperture in the loose hay, through which he could get a good view of the enemy with a minimum chance of being seen. He next unshipped his small field set and connected it with great 57 care to the wire which stretched away to his countrymen over the eastern hills. Then brushing the dust from his glasses with a silk handkerchief, he took up his post at the peep hole. He swept the trenches with his glasses, noting With keen and experienced eyes the construction of the de- fenses, picking out the works that controlled the weaker and more accessible points and tabulating them carefully in a notebook. The trenches formed long, dull reddish lines along the ridge where the fresh clay had been turned up. Sand bags made a long, grayish bulwark along the first line, and they were intersected with loop holes, through which vicious-looking machine guns thrust their muzzles. Farther up on the slope, scores of sappers were industriously engaged in sinking new trenches and mount- ing more deadly machine guns. Crowning the ridge were three batteries of iield artillery, nestling behind their embankments in a businesslike manner. At other points along the ridge, places were being prepared for the re- ception of other guns. Groups of khaki-clad soldiers' were setting up cruel barbed wire entanglements all along the slope and orderlies and aids spurred hastily over the defenses, carrying orders and instructions to the various sections. It was plainly evident that the Allies were strongly fortifying this position. Von Tesler swept his binoculars over the entire length of the trenches, until they stretched out of sight on both his left and right. He again carefully studied the ridge. That is the center of the whole line, he muttered to himself. If once that ridge is taken, both wings Will