The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1894-04-19
\ DECEPTION.

As chief surgeon on board | was busy
below with the poor fellows who lay
suffering unspcakable agonies with COM
pressed lips and white, haggard faces
Bending down with my assistants
over the PROSTATE body of young mid
dy, did not hear footsteps approaching
and started when some one laid his hand
on my shoulder 1t was Lieutenant
Harold Patterson.
Garter, old man, " he said as | stood
up and wiped my hands, this rough
work has fingered me bit I've got u
nasty knock here, see?" He lifted up his
left arm painfully with his right hand,
and then saw that the dark blue cloth
was torn and stained and stiff with con
gealed blood.
Bit Of a small shell, " he continued,
with easy carclessness. ~ want you to
doctor it up a bit, for I've got to 30
ashore with Teaser. ="
Tcaser was his gun. 1t was a light
machine gun, a capital weapon for
square Ct retreat work. Patterson was a
perfect child with his gun He treated
it as if il were one of his greatest friends
on earth.
There's going to be Some sport on
the other side of those batteries, can
assure you, he said, pointing with his
thumb through the portfolio toward the
land.
"Old Tcaser's going to make things
hum round there a bit, or she's going for
old iron when we get back Candidly,
Carter, did you ever see "A gun like her?
Did you ever see Il piece of metal pump
bullets like She does? Lord, Id stick
against dead wall and buck up 500
bowling niggcrs with her single hand
ed. "
When had fixed him up, we went on
deck The hot air between the bulk
heads made me feel sick and dizzy, and
| wondered at a government like ours
taking it into then heads to send out
women as nurses ar.ong the wounded.
Out in the offing | could STE the trans
port that was bringing the soldiers and
the women.
The advent of the women was con-
founded nuisance. | told Harold so.
"Fie, DOCTOR" he said. 81 should
JitNfl litlNt IL VI Dbha t7il'tiiIf bii
you for speaking of the ladies in that
disrcspectfu way Why the little
dears, they'll be the means OF bringing
round the fellows Il lot more quickly
than you and your crew could ever hope
to. Three cheers for the ladies, | say.
And AS he raised his cap and waved it
round his curly head felt that there
"a soft 1lpnn N his b111.t tf,I,y
in general by reason of the fact that one
of them far back in England was sigh
ing for her bronzcd and handsome lover,
who was just now so enthusiastically
championing their cause
But although | had been i'll his com
pany for at least three weeks he had
never once mentioned to me the name of
the girl was now convinced was respon-
siblc for this outburst of vehemcnce.
His wound did not prevent his taking
his place in the pinnace. Teaser was
there in the bow, carefully wrapped in
yellow tarpaulin.
l watched them take her ashore and
saw through my glasses how carefully
and tenderly he superntcded her ma
nipulation until at length the whole bat
terry disappeared from sight through
breach in the Notifications.
A couple of hours later the big trans
port arrived. She brought ont two regi-
ments and half dozen voluntary nurses.
One of them came to our ship. fear
the reception | gave her wash t II very
cordial one, but didn't want her there
at all and expressed my annoyance i'll
my actions.
The expression of the face, tanned by
exposure during the voyage, was firm
and intellectual and there was look
Of businesslike suavity about her man
ner that we doctors always admire in
any ono. But time alone would show
her worth.
In the cool of the evening had the
sick brought up on deck. There were
few serious cases, and for these l could
do no more than | had already done.
Nurse sat reading by one of them. She
had remarkably clear and well bal
anced voice, and could see the poor fcl-
lows on either side straining their ears
to catch the sweet sounds that had been
foreign to them for so long.
l leaned over the bulwarks and
watched landing parties returning to
their respective ships. | could see cou-
pie of the men of our boat impatiently
walking up and down the beach, while
the others stood with boathooks keeping
the pinnace few yards out and off the
bottom.
Then through the breach 20 yards
above them came the remainder of our
party. They Were walking slowly and
carrying some of their number. | could
not see the gun.
When they came alongside, the two
wounded We're handed up One was
seaman. He was taken below. The other
came up.
His face and part of his body was COW
cred with blood stained cloth, but saw
the legs and the sturdy arms, and a big
lump came up i'll my throat. As turn
ed to follow them down below one Of
the men said to me in Il hoarse whisper:
Gun burst, sir For God S sake don't
say he's goingF
They loved him, all these men did.
He had been hike Il brother to them.
l knelt by the side of the boy-he was
only boy He still breathed, though
slightly, but cruel sight! he was blind,
and his once handsome face was horri-
bly, disfgnrod
He raised his hand slowly and felt
my arm aud carried the fingers up to
my face bent down to catch the words
which fell from his moving Inns