Part 14 (1/2)

Periscopes are life-savers, for the periscope prevents a man pus.h.i.+ng his head above the parapet to see if Johnny Turk is coming over to say ”Good morning.” Something had to be done, so the famous quartette began to cudgel their brains.

”I've got it,” said Claud, picking up a walking-stick.

”Got what,” inquired Bill.

”An idea--you watch.” Taking a penknife out of his pocket, he deftly and quickly cut away the inner portion of the stick. This kept him busy for a couple of hours. When finished, he took a little pocket mirror out of his haversack.

”Too big,” said Bill.

”No, it isn't,” answered Claud, slipping a diamond ring off his finger.

He scratched the mirror, then cut two pieces out of it. These he fixed into the walking-stick. ”There you are now--a brand new periscope.”

And it proved just the thing. The field of vision was quite good.

Being small it did not attract attention. The result of this discovery was that every officer's stick was immediately commandeered, and with the aid of Claud's ring and other people's mirrors, a good supply of periscopes were made.

”You think you're smart fellers, I suppose,” said Bill, his envy roused by this success. ”But I'll show you fellers something in a day or two.”

”What is it?”

”'Wait and see,' as old Asquith says.” For the next few days Bill was seen in close communion with a fellow Australian. They went about the trenches picking up bits of wood, nails, mirrors, and other odds and ends. These were carried into the little hole of the inventive genius, and there all gradually saw the growth of a wonderful invention. It wasn't Bill's idea exactly. He was simply the managing director, who stimulated curiosity, and fetched the mysterious genius the necessary supplies of material. Anyone who ventured too near the sacred sanctum was told to ”hop it.”

”What's that ould rascal doin'?” Paddy remarked one day.

”A bomb-thrower,” said Sandy.

”Barbed wire burster,” suggested Claud.

”No, it ain't,” interjected Bill, who happened to come along at the time.

”What is it, then?”

”It's a man-killer. You can sit down in yer bed and kill all the ole Turks in front. They can't see who's killin' them.”

”When do you try it?”

”To-day.” And he did. That afternoon the inventor allowed Bill to have the trial shot. The instrument, in brief, was a periscope rifle.

With the aid of an ordinary rifle, mirrors and wood fixed up in a rough, but ingenious way, there had been produced a killing instrument, which allowed the user to see and to kill without being seen. This was a G.o.dsend, for many of the casualties at this post were due to men aiming through the loopholes or over the parapet.

”Here goes,” said Bill, fixing the rifle in position.

”See anything?”

”Yes, a big feller. I'll get him in his ole fat head.” Slowly and steadily he took aim, then bang went his rifle.

”Got him! Got him! Right in his coconut,” shouted Bill with a grim delight.

The invention was hailed as a great success, and the inventor complimented all round. His orders were many, and his instrument soon became general throughout the whole line. Indeed, it was owing to this wonderful invention that the rifle fire of the Turks was again subdued to a remarkable extent.

Other remarkable things were invented by these resourceful fellows.