Grand Forks daily herald., 1915-05-25
By Herbert Corey.

Copyright, 1915, by Herbert Corey.
Paris, May 25.-"But 1 didn't want
to kill the blighter," said Sergeant
Wilson of the Kings Rifles "'E
never did me no arm. But what the
ell could I do?"
Wilson isn't his name. But every
one connected with the American hos
| pitar at Neuilly-a suburb of Paris
M,i idsT,iTy The man. H. got S,a the
trench with twelve men in the battle
Of Mons--held it in spite of the fact
that the British were routed and a
food of yelling Germans were sweep
ing over the field-and little later
he lost his: leg
Maybe his story should begin with
the losing Of his leg, although 1t was
lost on the last day OF Mons. It will
give the reader an idea of what sort
of a man Wilson is. A steelhard, old,
professional soldier, whose life busi-
ness is war. Kind as can be in an
unofficial capacity. He likes to whittle
things out of wood for French kid
dies. But war-war is the killing of
| men.
When he gave up that trench he
| Joined the rout at Mons. The Ger
| mans shelled the fleeing men. OF
course, that is done in every war. No
one complains. Sergeant Wilson's left
leg was hit by bit Of shell. Sergeant
| Garet of the same regiment happened
along.
You 'aven't got a charnce, old
| pal" said Garet. Garet is born
pessimist.
You silly has," said Wilson. I'm
as right as paint"
Wilson. 1t will be gathered. is an
optimist They always found him SO
at the American hospital. So Garet
took him pick-a-back, and-grumb-
ling because of Wilson's conviction
that he would not die, but very cheer
fully doing the work-carried him
two kilometers. Then Garet stopped
fully.
Him done" said he heavily.
Wilson looked at his leg. 1t didn't
look like much of a leg to him, he aft
erward explained. 1t was hanging by
a mere shred Of flesh. So he took out
his service knife and cut it off.
land threw it away" Garet after
ward complained, sourly, in the Amer
ican hospital. Garet always nursed
grudge over his apparent wastage,
1t would seem. When they woke up
they were in adjoining beds at a hos
pital. The American nurses learned
to enjoy them. Garet was always
SO certain that things were going to
pot, Wilson was so quite sure that
in the end all would come right. All
OF this is the introduction to the cpl
side. 1t may teach the reader some
thing of what war is-of what grim,
savage, needless thing war IS.
British Had to Scatter.
I The British were jammed back day
after day by the triumphant Germana
In that battle of Mons. Most Of the
regiments preserved their formations.
pieces, SO pierced and cut off by Ger.
man charges, 80 confused and bewild-
cred, that what remained of regiments
and companies became mere scattered
groups. They ran because there was
nothing else to do. They knew only
in the most general way in which di-
rectfon to run.
Wilson and Garet and a private SOL
dier from Whitechapel drew together
dier hardly enters into the narrative
at all, except that he, like the others.
eventually turned up at the American
hospital. A silver Of shrapnel had
| torn through his face. SO that now he
has a deep scar on either cheek. He
is just a pleasant. soft spoken, blond
ngstsr from Whitechapel He is d
mere boy. Every one knows him al
.'Tommy."
The whole countryside was covered
with these little fleeing groups. They
kept apart from each other. The
Germans galloped guns up behind
them and shelled bodies OF men that
offered target worth wasting pow
der on. Then, too, the men who
could go the faster distanced
their comrades. It was save himself
who could. The three had lightened
their loads by dropping haversacki
and blanket rolls. Last OF all they
threw away their guns. There would
be more guns at the base The i'm,
mediately necessary thing was to get
Eaway. Germans were behind them
them. They lodged and ran as best
they could.