Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-10-31

never
coat. but I am unable TO determine the
gravity OF my wound for there 10 a.
much mud as blood.
Toward O'Clock there IS luh IN tho
firing I await the stretcher bearers nut
like sister Anne. they do not come. me
hours seem atrociously long, although
no longer pay any attention to the rain
which continues Finally, towards 4
o'clock in the afternoon l see coming In
place OF the looked for stretcher pear
ers-the Germans.
This time IL is for good, II say to my
self. I am done for \ blow from rifle
butt or a thrust Of the bayonet ana
they would finish me. A last thought
Of my family and / try 10 take my own
rifle and end H. IL is useless. The gun
is no more than lump Of mud, OF sticky
clay.
seen Mt Long Distance
..-rb.re are five long minutes during
which ] exist with a calmness mat sur
prises me. A German asks me in French;
How are you"
Il showed him the place where am
wounded.
'Reassure yourself he says. That
will perhaps amount 10 nothing. In any
case you will get we'll
Il learn that they are from Lorraine
which is lucky. They are clad In gray
which makes them almost invisible In
war. / speak Of this to thom. They an
swer:
Indeed. with your red trousers We
can see you a long distance. You make
superb targets.
''The Germans went on their way prom
Using 10 return to look for me, as well
as others who like myself lay on the
hattie field. l take hope. II seems sood
20 be alive, although l am in sorry
plight
The hours pass: night arrives It stiiI
rains. Day breaks, neither stretcher
bearer nor my Lorraines OF the day be-
fore II IA not until o'clock in the aft
,rnoon OF the second day that the Ger
mans come back l have passed thirty
four hours in reflection in the rain. with
a wound which caused me much sur
fering.
THE Germans put mo on canvas, with
two pieces OF wood on either end. They
carry me to a hamlet. about kilometer
and a half distant. and stretch me out
there in the open air. stu in the rain,
but on firmer ground. Then they 20 back
TO search for others. They bring back
thus 700 or 500 wounded, OF whom 100 arc
French.
Il am soaked. I am famished.
munich with Joy a bit OF army biscuit
which ! find delicious. Upon my urgent
entreAty a German consents TO give me
a glass OF wine from his flask. which he
has Just filled. thank him. That warns
me. Tho German Is going away when
he changes his mind and demands pay
ment for his glass OF wine. l Jabber
little German. ] understand and give
him a l0-sou piece. the only money ]
have left lie takes himself Off content
blame French Government.
Some German officers come to talk
TO me. one of them says to me:
1T Is your governments fault that
you are here
They all speak French. I note the
remarks of this officer because II appears
TO me TO indicate curious mentality.
THE third day OF this cavalry, they
put us In a barn on the hay We have as
yet received no care. l beg the Germans
TO take off my clothes. have been able
10 snare a blanket which happens TO be
there. don't know to whom II belongs.
but necessity STILES scruples. They are
quite willing 20 do what l have asked,
My coat. my water.soaked trousers.
which were little less than packages OF
mud, are removed. My falling shoes, my
underdrawers and socks follow the same
route. My feet and my wound make
attff I oh .tte
scissors. ! cut my shirt and flannel belt
free from my wound. which l have not
seen. II Is distressingly long, but moth
ing astonishes me any longer. after what
l have seen. l make as good as II is
rad. dressing out OF the first aid
things In my pouch. Then l roll myself
mp in my blanket, l have no longer any
thing military except my cap and l am
almost naked Fortunately my Jersey
keeps me warm. This operation COM
plsted. / feel great relief
Sort che wounded.
They sort the German wounded from
the French. Some hours after they bring
I'm the sanitary service OF the 2O3d, which
has been taken prisoner. The French
doctors get 10 work with first dressings.
iodine. But al the moment they are
going 10 put on the Dandage. the Ger
mans take away the French doctors and
the wounded Germans. We. IN our turn,
are transferred 20 Lbecourt
We are now at the end OF the fourth
day OF this exercise. They have warned
us that We are prisoners. Tonight we
learn that the Prussians are rotreating.
What Is going 10 happen? WIN they take
US along or leave US TO ourselvesg For
there are no Lorraines In the German
army. All night the troops march under
our window One hears the noise OF
tramping feet and gutteral commands
Outside OF this dream OF internal
horror. which ! have had for eight days
am highly hopeful for the final results
OF the war, because / am able to prove
enc thing. which has greatly surprised
me, / confess. That il that the re
plenishing Of supplies and ammunition
Is marvellous We have never Iacket
tread. nor meat nor cartridges q singi,
DAY The service 10 marvelouEly or
G4nfVaA a. 81 81