The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-04-22

, only had a bit of plank or driftwood but this I could not get. It was blair
 enough that I should soon be drowned
 like rat in a hole unless l managed tc
 get out somehow. Dead and wounded
 men were lying about in ghastly piles
 but no one to lend me helping hand
 By this time I could not use my legs in
 any way and when l dug my hands
 into the sides of my prison and tried to
 pull myself out the sand gave way and
 left me still lying in the water. Finally
 made a strong effort and rolled myself
 sideways out of the hole! When l got
 out I saw Q marine a short distance
 away, nicely covered by pile of sand,
 and firing very deliberately at the fort.
 l called to him to pull me in behind his
 pile of sand, but he declined on the
 ground that the enemy's fire was too
 sharp for him to expose himself. per-
 suaded him with my revolver to change
 his mind and in two seconds he had me
 in place of safety-that is to say, safe
 by small margin, for when he fired the
 enemy's bullets would snip the sand
 within a few inches of our heads. If
 the marine had known that my revolver
 was soaking wet, and could not possi-
 ply be fired, I suppose l should have
 been buried the next morning, as many
 other poor fellows were. AS soon as l
 could reach some cartridges from
 dead sailor lying near me l loaded my
 revolver, thinking it might be useful
 before the job was finished.
 About half-past' nine o'clock that
 night Captain Breese, who commanded
 the brigade, succeeded in getting life
 boat in through the heavy surf break ing on the beach, and at once wounded
 officers were tumbled into her. while the
 crew stood in the water holding her head on to the seas Shortly after day. light signal was made to transfer all wounded men on board to the Santiago de Cuba.
 After very comfortable trip, all things considered, we arrived at Nor folk at daylight in the morning, and hauled alongside the wharf at the Ma val hospital. We were landed without delay and found myself looking ward. I slipped my revolver under the pillow, and, pulling the blankets up about my chin, went to sleep and did not awake until ten o'clock that night The sur geon in charge and his principal assi- tant were standing by the bedside, and after a careful examination of my wounds they retired to the end of the room for consultation, when I distinct ly heard the senior one say: Take both legs off in the morning." I did not get much sleep that night but did do some very serious thinking.
 The following morning. the assistant, ho friand of ,11inn came in, and after few words of greet ! ing began to tell me ahow seriously I | was wounded, and how dangerous | wounds about the knee were. I saw at | once that he hated to tell me what he was going to do to me, so to relieve the situation I told him that I had over- heard the conversation the night be- fore; that I had preferred to die with my legs on; that T. was only eighteen years old, and the thought of living my life without my legs was more than I cared to face; that as the legs belonged to me I thought I had right to say what was to become of them, and that [ asked the doctors to do what they could for me with my legs on, and If I lied it was no matter. He heard me very quietly and, I thought, with sym oathy, but when I had finished, said: You know, Evans, orders have to be obeyed!" Thinking that he had misun- lerstood me, went over matters again, md wound up by asking that they put ne out on the lawn on cot rather than ut me to pieces; that I would find ome one to take me to a hospital fur her north Again came the reply about beying orders. Reaching over, pulled :. he gun from under my pillow; I told ! jim that there were six loads in 1t, and 1 hat if he or any one else entered my cor with anything that looked like a ase of instruments I meant to begin \ hooting, and that he might rest per- ectly sure that I would kill six before : hey cut my legs off This brought latters to a crisis at once, and in few i; minutes the surgeon in charge came in cry angry and full of threats. But the f asult was that they left my legs on, nd paid very little attention to me in I ny way for two weeks, when they V ound I had fever and must be looked r fter. To the wife of the doctor who as going to operate and his little q aughter I owe my life Had it not cen for their kindness and care I lould undoubtedly have died.-Captain fl obley D. Evans in the Philadelphia ost.