Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/83

Rh “Surveyed! Finished with! Bunches of paper work on its grave! Where in the name of kind heaven did you find it?"

"In the stables, sir, covered up by accident in a manger.

The desperate hands go higher. They now express also supplication.

"It can't be found! My God! It can't be found!"

"You're right," one agrees, “because according to Army Regulations it has ceased to exist. To try to bring it to life again might take years of investigations, valuations, boards, I guess it would stop the war.'

"Probably," says another, "it would put G. P., meaning general prisoner, on the backs of most of us."

"Drather find nitro-glycerine."

A murmur crystalizes the thoughts of all.

"If it were done away with quietly, dispassionately, without cruelty?"

You can't depend on this idle gossip, for the set was never heard of, at least publicly. One of the conspirators was seen in friendly converse with an officer of the Supply Company. Perhaps a stratagem was found. Maybe there's something in the story after all.

Days of doubt descended. For some time, each week end at home had been treasured as our last, but we didn't move.

"An order has come from General Pershing," McKenna informed us, "that no artillery units are to sail without their full equipment of harness."

But a word might alter that. If we could go without guns or caissons or horses—for gradually it had become clear our animals would be left behind—why all this fuss about harness?

And the division was moving.