Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-18
DAILY SHORT STORY
AN ARMY SURGEONS STORY.

had come under their Individual Oh
servaton in the Santiago campaign
A number Of heroic deeds We're re
counted. all OF them cases where mer
carried away by excitement seemed te
have lost a realization Of danger. AL
had given experiences in the line OF
bravery except one who had been
surgeon in the war. One Of the veter
ans, noticing that the surgeon hae
not spoken and assuming that acts OF
bravery We're not 10 be expected OF
the medical officers. said:
Cheer ny. doctor. Remember thai
when a man is once wounded the sur
reon To him is of more Importance thar
his commanding general
Il remember an instance" replied
the surgeon. where one Of our de
partment was of more Importance to s
soldier than not only his commanding
general. but "A whole army"
Let lis have it," chimed in every
one present.
1T was just before the surrender OF
Santiago" said the surgeon. clearing
his throat rather from nervousness
than necessity, as IL about to enter up
on a distasteful recital. There was
one battery on one especial day about
half an hour before dark upon which
the Spaniards concentrated a heavy
fire. \ surgeon was directed to &C
over there and look after the wounded
He went and after giving hasty pre-
liminary treatment to several cases
turned To the next. n boy not more
than nineteen years old. who had had
his leg torn by a shell only few mo
ments before. The surgeon saw arte
rial blood being pumped from the
wound. Thrusting his fingers In, he
took hold of the artery and. squeezing
II between his thumb and forefnger
stopped the flow.
1.-The Spaniards must have made ur
their minds To eliminate that particular
battery, for every minute the fire grew
hotter and every minute they got a
truer range. One gun after another
was knocked over. and SO many of the
men were killed that the rest. picking
up the wounded. got away under cover
But two live men We're left, the boy
and the surgeon. The boy couldn't go.
and IL the surgeon let go of that artery
for half Il minute the boy would die"
ut lEuttu CISdI
and added: Il leave il TO you, gentle
men. IL that WAS not a case where the
medical man was OF more importance
to the wounded man not only than the
commanding general. but a whole ar
my" He paused for a reply.
"Well." exclaimed the listeners.
isn't that enough to prove the posi-
tionf'
Position, rats, Go on with the sto-
ryr'
"Oh, the story. Well. the boy knew
well enough that his life depended on
the surgeons holding on TO that artery
that is. IL some Of the shells or frag-
ments of shells exploding about them
every few seconds didn't kill them both
I'm the meantime he was brave
little fellow. 1 mean morally brave;
not brave like men who make dashes
and capture forts. and he looked up
into the surgeons face and said:
You've done all any reasonable man
can expect. l confess / do want to get
rather not face them feeling that / had |
chung 10 you and kept you from get
ting back. Goodby, doctor. Thank !
you"
The surgeon paused again, this time
to relight his cigar.
'Well.'' chimed in the crowd.
WELL repeated the surgeon. don't |
you see that the medical man was of !
greater Importance To that boy than
"Ob. get of that side track and 20 on |
with what you're talking about"
Holding on with his right hand"
the story teller. 1.-THE surgeon |
felt through his left pockets-he could |
not reach his right-for something with |
which TO make tourniquet. If he had |
only had piece of string about him. a |
bit OF bandage. anything, But he had |
not. All he had brought with him for |
the days use had been applied To other |
cases. He wanted TO get his hand in \
his pocket To get out his knife
Had the firing ceascd?"
Ceased? No. II was growing hot. /
ter every minute. One shell burst be- i
side them and covered them with dirt. H
A fragment of another knocked Off the Il
hat
Didn't he find anything to tie up the Il
wound WITH"
Yes. At last he thought Of the
locket containing his ladyloye's pic L
ture. which he had worn suspended by Il
n narrow ribbon around his neck. He
20. his left hand in under his coat, II
broke the ribbon. managing To slip the
lockct into his pocket. and with ribbon
and pencil made a tourniquet.''
Again the speaker paused.
did the firing ceaseT'
s.Of ,rurSp did
II you give il time enough. II got so II
dark the Spaniards couldn't see Be
sides. when they had made up their
minds that the battery had been knock
ed out they had no occasion 10 fire any
more. IL was only matter OF ten
minutes anyway"
"a pretty long ten minutes. reckon.
That surgeon deserved n lot of credit
What DID he say 10 his sweetheart
about the ribbon that was mJssing?'