The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-02-13
Wounded Sergeant Changes His
Opinion Respecting Recruit
Called "His lordship."
NOTED FOR HIS LAZINESS
Promise Of Good Nights Rest Leads
Him to Distinguish Himself In
Charge on vilIage-Defends Bed
Against Whole Regiment.

q man by MS appearance. SAID
wounded sergeant, when asked fol-
his most thrilling battle experience
when we started for the front we
had in our company q man whom ]
simply could not stand. He was tall.
well built, rather good looking, with
light hair and mustache, and most aw-
fully lazy. There was no mistake
about 1.-The had wealthy parents, q
man who had never travelled without
q valet.
"On the moment of his arrival in
our midst we named him his lord
ship" and bets were made that he
would succumb after the first days
march. Not a bit of it. It is true he
looked tired at the start, but he looked
no more SO at the finish. But when we
reached the place where we were to
rest for the night, he calmly unwound
his puttees. underneath which he wore
real silk socks. We felt bit upset.
Silk socks for soldier are clearly
against army regulations.
Manleures His Nails.
But this was nothing to what fol.
lowed. He got out a nice leather
box. opened 1t, extracted some sort of
instrument and proceeded to manicure
his nails.
All the boys gathered around him
to watch the performance; but I put
an end to 1t by promising him four
days in the Ordinary which he was
to undergo after the taking of Ber-
lin, for, you see. we could not very
well spare the man Just then.
I'VE were finally placed in the
trenches. His lordship did everything
ungrudgingly. but he could not sleep
without a pillow, so he paid four
packets of cigarettes day to fat
fellow and rested his head on the lat
ter's stomach. But we began to re-
spect him from the day when he laid
low 16 Germans with IS cartridges. 1t
was some shooting, and he did 1t as
nonchalantly as II he were in q rife
gallery
We'll, we left the trenches-that
Is some Of US did, and some did not
and even then one day we were or
dered to take by assault village &C.
cupied by Bavarian regiment.
First In Dash for Bed.
ITO give added courage to the men,
our captain said: You see these
houses? There are beds in them, and
these beds are for your use II we take
the village Take my word for it,
we did not lose any time, and II did
not hustle then, l never hustled in all
my life. l was among the first to
reach the nearest house-at least l
thought was, but when dashed in
l found his lordship' calmly stretched
out on bed previously occupied by
a German officer, whom he had thrown
out Of the window.
We thought that we could have q
good nights rest, but about three
o'clock in the morning we were told to
get up. as a German regiment was
marching against us. l awoke my
men, and all rose without murmur,
all except his lordship.'
"'Get up!' shouted.
He opened one eye. looked at me
and said, Not on your life.'
What do you mean?' l was chok-
ing with anger. We must retreat; a
whole German regiment is about to
attack u.s.
If 1t is the whole German army,
l will not give up my bed to them,' he
answered with some heat-the first |
time saw him get hot about anything
at all.
Holds Germans OF.
81 order you started to say but
he shut his eye, turned on the other
side and slept. l added eight days to
his solitary and as l could not very |
well carry him on my shoulders, l left
him to his fate.
I'VE retired upon an adjoining hill,
within half a mile of the village, to |
await re-enforcements. At dawn our
captain, who was watching the enemy |
through field glasses. exclaimed with |
surprise: This is curious! They have |
not entered the village yet They |
content themselves with shooting at |
the houses.
Il looked in turn. 1t was true, the |
Germans were held back by somebody,
anu every nov anu then one vi them |
fell And then l saw at one Of the |
windows a white apparition. 1t was
his lordship,' rifle in hand, defending |
his bed
Our re-enforcements arrived, we
took back the village. and-can you
imagine where / found his lordship?'
He was fast asleep in the bed. |
shook him; he opened his eye and |
muttered: Bring me my coffee l !
gave him four more days Of solitary
and the general added an order to
have him mentioned in dispatches.
Il suppose he is still fighting and
doing good work, while I have taken
the pledge never to judge a man by |