Omaha daily bee., 1900-12-14

Copyright, 1900, by ]. Barnes)
IL you look in a report made by Eng.
lands greatest surgeon you will ind under
Case No. 10' concise and detailed &C.
count OF bullet wound. The course OF the
ball Is traced with all the accuracy and
exactness OF a surgeons terse phraseology
We are told how the merciful little pencil
shaped, nickel steel Mauser bullet passed
through the body OF Case No. TO-" but who
case No. 10" is and under what circum-
stances he received the wcund-that Is no
part Of surgeons report, and so 1t does
not appear. In the old days when the tear
Ing, shattering leaden bullets did their fear
ful work Case No 10" wouldn't have been
q surgeons case; he would have been In the
obituary list. AS Il is, thanks to the cleanly
perforatng bullet which csuteriZes It's own
wound, he is now alive and well, though
shot in what used to be regarded as vital
spot. This is the actual story Of how
Case No. 10' happened
II was at the second battle OF the Tugela,
and the date, II I remember correctly, was
the 23d of January. Captain Dalton, X ~.
NJ. G. (which means Royal Army Medical
corps) had been called of to attend to
wounded officer lying on the flank Of the
army. the main body Of which was already
falling back across the death-plain over
which IL had endea vored to advance against
the hidden rhemen who lay among the
rocks.
IL was quite late in the afternoon when
ne reached the spot, and on the way the
attendant strotcher bearers had picked up
badly wounded man. In a corner among
the rocks the surgeon found the wounded
officer Captain de Rougemont. Near by
him lay another wounded man, and 30
Captain Dalton found himself in charge Of
O little dressing station all his own. He
know de Rougemont we'll, and as he bent
over him he saw that he was badly woun led
shot throug the abdomen. The other man
lying near had a wound OF the same char
acter, while the third man, who had been
carried along In the stretcher was shot,
T rememt er rightly, in two places, tn ough
the head and lungs. The captain-for all
English surgeons have military titles
bent over his stricken friend. He saw
that the ball had gone straight through
him; yet he felt sure that with great care
his life might be saved. But the ambul-
anccs were from four to Ave miles away.
and 1t would be almost impossible to drive
one over the rocky, uneven ground. A glance
at the other man showed that his case was
severe one also. Three casualties, all
In the category OF the dangerous, would
spell small hope to the friends at home
who would read the returns In the papers.
Three casualties and only one stretcher.
The men who carried It. were not members
OF a regular bearer company, but two Tom
mics who had been pressed for the nonce.
The surgeon had got out bandages and
was applying the first aid as quickly and
deftly as he could, when one of the men
standing by shouted suddendly
MY Gawd! Look! Here they comet"
IL.
to see about forty Beers. all mounted, ride
into sight above the crest of the little
hill, 200 yards or 30 In front. He only
glanced at them. for he thought they must
have perceived what he was doing and,
despite the recrlminations that had been
INDUCED in on either side. the Red Cross
had always been respected. He felt safe
under the protection Of the little banda ge
around him arm. So he went on with his
work. There came a volley and the captain
felt a shock. go through him. Pausing for
a minute. no 16oked down at himself and
perceived that he was wounded In almost
the same place as the officer whom he was
attending. One of the soldiers was shot
dead and the wounded man lying on the
ground had received second bullet
through the cbas:, The other stretcher-
bearer had seen shot through the arm
near the shoulder and had fallen behind a
rock. They were all casualties now. him
self included, But somehow 1t may have
been the effect OF training or 1t may have
been the surgeons abstract interest In
the case. he continued working. stanching
the blood and binding up the wound of his
friend, determined to work as long as he
was able. The Beers approached They
got Off their horses and were standing
close about him sickening feeling was