Tensas gazette., 1914-11-06
HOW A FIGHTING
MAN Of THE LINE
LOOKS ON BATTLE
Indifference Shown in Story OF
English Sergeant.
WITNESSES LITTLE OF STRIFE
Writer Tells Of Wounded Soldier Who
Even Did Not Know How He Got
injured-"lt was . ell Of
. Charge"

100 NAOSo. AAC Wao 0ictihCtiy SiOoo.
At first he seemed disinclined to take
up the role of wounded hero of the
great war, which several of us had
pressed upon him. writes Herbert
Casey in Chicago Daily News.
Don't get too bally near me-" said
the sergeant. First thing you know
you'll be stepping on my sore foot.
And then I'll jolly we'll bash the man
a. does It."
But there are ways of modifying
wounded heroes. and a British soldier
could never be convinced that ale
could be the slightest drag upon con-
valescence. He had just returned from
France. where he had been wounded
ia battle with the Germans. His
wound was not serious. He hoped to
be back on the fighting line in q
month.
Where was the battle in which you
were wounded?" some one asked.
Then was revealed the fashion in
which fighting man looks at a bat.
tle-much as an ant would look at a
sand bed. He could only see the little
grains Of sand Immediately before his
eyes. OF the strategy involved. of the
numbers in conflict. of the general plan
Of battle. he knew no more than we
did who stayed at home.
Didn't Know What Happened.
All ! know Is they were fighting
hall over" he said. "Mornin's you'd
wake up to ear them same guns 20
ing. Everywhere they were at it
all around. Sometimes the Germans
seemed In the rear of US and some
times we were in the rear of the Ger
mans. ] don't know what happened.
We were somewhere in Belgium"
The troop Of cavalry to which he
belonged had not been engaged dur.
ing the hrst day Of the big battle.
Three or four times 1t had been or.
'dered here or there.
Just like we'd be going out to ex-
ercise our 'orses like" said he. I'VE
never got near the Germans. Some
times we'd see 'em and they'd see US,
but both Of us went on about our
business"
He saw the wounded brought back
from the front. 1t was pretty tough,
he said, to stand In ranks and watch
wagons full of sroaning. cursing.
screaming men file past. The worst
Of It. he thought. was to watch the
blood drip through the seams of the
wagon beds. The undergear Of some
Of the wagons grew to a dark, dusty
purple. When his troop was ordered
on scouting duty the man took 1t a.
. relief!
1T was odd. now." said he, to watch
the water wagons that used to
sprinkle London's streets come Jolt
ing up with water for US. They took
your mind hon the fellows that .ad
been 'urt. And the buses. When
got my urt. l rode to the rear in a
Charing Cross bus. that maybe the
old woman used to ride In every morn
ing when she went down town. Rum.
aren't it,"
Ordered to Mount.
His troop was sheltered behind q
hill, he said, where the shells couldn't
get at them. It was hot, and most
Of the men were standing by their
horses. They had loosened the girths
and opened their own tunics. He was
concerned about his own horse.
"Old 'Ydraulic." he said, got to
lathering bad that morning. I feared
the ole besgar were going to be
sick"
A stan oflicer cantered up in a DER.
fectly matter-of-fact way and gave an
order to the commanding oficer. The
word to mount was passed along. It
was obvious that another scouting ex.
pedition was on foot. The sergeant
heard one Of the men in the ranks
say to comrade that one of these
days they'd get bally we'll caught by
the sausages going around this way.
careless like. He reprimanded the
speaker.
"'E was just q cornerboy in Lon.
don." said the sergeant. Il could tell
what sort e IL directly I laid eyes
On I'm. They always ave more STRAIT.
egy than ole X. himself"
The troop took the long hill at a
walk. The warm. tired men Iolled In
their saddles until the sergeant made
them straighten up to save the backs
Of their horses. They were distinctly
not interested. Half dozen of these
expeditions had been unfruitful. They
had seen nothing Of Significance in the
movements of the enemy.
Hail at once" said the sergeant.
In . louder tone. He sounded the
charge"
When the Clash Came.
The men took the crest Of the hill
at . gallop. The first Of the troop
were already tearing down hill toward
Q company Of German lancers who
were on level ground not q hundred
yards away. The noise of battle which
nlled the air for IS miles on either
side had masked the approach of each
from the other
1T was ell Of q charge" said the
sergeant In disgust We didn't ave
no chawnce to get into proper forma-
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