The Real Dope | Page 6

its going to happen but I
stay out because it ain't near as cold as it was and besides if something
is comeing off I don't want to miss it. Besides maybe I could help out
some way if something did happen.
Last night we was all out on deck in the dark talking about this and that
and one of the boys I was standing along side of him made the remark
that we had been out nine days and he didn't see no France yet or no
signs of getting there so I said no wonder when we had such a he--ll of
a censor ship and some other guy heard me say it so he said I better not
talk like that but I didn't mean it like that but only how slow it was.
Well we are getting along O. K. with the French lessons and Bob Lee
told me last night that he run across one of the two French officers

that's on the ship and he thought he would try some of his French on
him so he said something about it being a nice day in French and the
Frenchman was tickled to death and smiled and bowed at him and I
guess I will try it out on them the next time I see them.
Well Al that shows we been learning something when the Frenchmans
themself know what we are talking about and I and Lee will have the
laugh on the rest of the boys when we get there that is if we do get there
but for some reason another I have got a hunch that we won't never see
France and I can't explain why but once in a while a man gets a hunch
and a lot of times they are generally always right.
Your pal, JACK.
* * * * *
On the Ship Board, Jan. 23.
FRIEND AL: Well Al I was just out on deck with Lee and Sargent
Bishop and Bishop is a sargent in our Co. and he said he had just came
from Capt. Seeley and Capt. Seeley told him to tell all the N. C. O.
officers like sargents and corporals that if a sub got us we was to leave
the privates get into the boats first before we got in and we wasn't to get
into our boats till all the privates was safe in the boats because we
would probably be cooler and not get all excited like the privates. So
you see Al if something does happen us birds will have to take things in
hand you might say and we will have to stick on the job and not think
about ourselfs till everybody else is taken care of.
Well Lee said that Doran one of the sailors told him something on the
quiet that didn't never get into the newspapers and that was about one
of the trips that come off in December and it seems like a whole fleet of
subs got on to it that some transports was comeing so they layed for
them and they shot a periscope at one of the transports and hit it square
in the middle and it begun to sink right away and it looked like they
wouldn't nobody get into the boats but the sargents and corporals was
as cool as if nothing was comeing off and they quieted the soldiers
down and finely got them into the boats and the N. C. O. officers was

so cool and done so well that when Gen. Pershing heard about it he
made this rule about the N. C. O. officer always waiting till the last so
they could kind of handle things. But Doran also told Lee that they was
some men sunk with the ship and they was all N. C. O. officers except
one sailor and of course the ship sunk so quick that some of the
corporals and sargents didn't have no time to get off on acct. of haveing
to wait till the last. So you see that when you read the newspapers you
don't get all the dope because they don't tell the reporters only what
they feel like telling them.
Well Al I guess I told you all ready about me haveing this hunch that I
wouldn't never see France and I guess it looks now more then ever like
my hunch was right because if we get hit I will have to kind of look out
for the boys that's in my boat and not think about myself till everybody
else is O. K. and Doran says if this ship ever does get hit it will sink
quick because its so big and heavy and of course the heavier a ship