Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-03-03
YOUNG SOLDIER
PROVES A HERO
Carries Colonel to Safety and Re-
turns Under Fire to Rescue
EngIishman.
SUcCoRS A DYING GERMAN
French Boys Thrilling Deed That May
Fin the Victoria Cross of Great
Britain-cycIist Wins French
Decoration.

London.-The Daily Chronicle pub
fishes the following from its special
correspondent at Anglers:
Jean Berger, simple soldat' of the
Second regiment of infantry, should,
after the war, be Jean Berger, v. c..
He is Frenchman-yes, but listen to
his story.
He, boy of about eighteen years
of age, lies in hospital here. wounded
badly, but not dangerously, in the
side and also in the hand
Jean Joined the Second regiment of
infantry, which was soon under orders
for Upper Alsace
1T was during one of the almost
innumerable fights which, battles in
themselves, are making up that
Homeric struggle of the nations on
the River Aisne that the colonel lead
ing the gallant Second was shot down
Machine guns were raking the quickly
thrown-up trenches; showers of rifle
bullets were falling everywhere
around. With that heroism which
takes account of nothing save the OBJ
ject in view, Jean rushed out of his
shelter to carry his colonel to safety.
Through a rain of leaden death he
passed scatheless, reached his colonel,
and carried him to safety
Back Through Hail of Lead.
'As he was performing his glorious
act he passed an officer of the Grena-
der guards wounded severely in the
leg, who called ont for water
IAN right cried Jean, III be back
In minute or two
"He put the colonel in the shelter
OF a trench where the Red Cross men
we're at work, procured some wine
from one of the doctors, and set forth
again to face the bullet showers And
again he went out untouched
Reaching the English officer, Jean
held up the flask to the wounded mans
lips, but, before he could drink, bull
let struck the young Frenchman in
the hand, carrying away three fingers,
and the flask fell to the ground. Quick
ly, as though the flask had merely
slipped out of one hand by accident.
Jean picked it up with the other: and,
supported by the young Frenchman,
the English officer drank.
while he was doing so a bullet
drilled Jean through the side. Yet,
In spite of the intense pain, he man
aged to take off his knapsack, and,
seq ~ching in it, discovered some food.
which he gave to his English comrade.
las the guardsman was eating, he
and Jean discovered that near them
was a wounded German soldier. who.
recovering from the delirium of
wounds. was crying out for food and
drink The Englishman, taking the
flask which had still some wine in it,
and also the remainder of the food
from the Frenchman's knapsack, man.
aged. though suffering great pain, to
roll himself along till he reached the
spot where the German soldier lay.
There, however, he found he was. by
himself, too weak to give the poor
fellow anything.
so he shouted to Jean TO come to
his assistance, and, though movement
could only be at the cost Of great
pain, the young Frenchman managed.
too, to reach the place, and together.
Englishman and Frenchman. succored
the dying German. One held him up
while the other poured wine between
his parched lips
All Fall in Heap.
Then human nature could stand no
more. and all three fell. utterly ex-
hausted, in a heap together. All
through the long night, a night con-
tinuously broken by the roar of can
non, death watched over that strange
sleeping place of the three comrades
of three great warning nations,
an the morning shells bursting near
them aroused the English officer and
the French soldier Their GermanH
neighbor was dead. and for a long