The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-24
A Singular
Find
1t Occurred on a Bat
tIefieId In France.
By F. A. mitchell

George Elliott lived south of the Dor
der line separating Canada from the
state of Maine. George was desperate.
He was very poor, he was In love. and
the country about him was a dead
and alive region wherein 1t was hard
enough for a man to pick up a living
for himself. to say nothing OF posi-
BILE wife and family Of children.
1t is this kind of man which, when
a war breaks out, furnishes food for
powder. When a man sees only mis-
cry before him in life he looks upon
death as not altogether undesirable.
Besides, till it comes he has no re-
sponsibility as to food and clothes.
The government takes care Of him till
he is told to stand up before an enemy
and be shot down. His idea of being
shot is bullet in vital part that will
end his misery at once. He doesn't
consider being MANNED and turned
again on to the world in a far worse
fix than before.
One day George went TO see his girl,
Ellen Barry, and told her that he was
going up into Canada to enlist. He re-
minded her that 1t was madness for
them to think Of marrying and his 60
ing to the war would be as good way
as any TO end what was becoming tor
ture. The only response on Ellen's part
was tears. This made it all the harder
for George, and, taking her in his
arms, he kissed her, then, releasing
her, turned and walked away without
looking back. Ellen gazed mournful-
ly after him through her tears till he
had passed out of sight, then. sobbing
convulsively, went into the house.
A year later Private George Elliott,
who had been enlisted In a Canadian
regiment of sharpshooters, was con-
cealed among the branches of a tree
in northern France picking off the
enemy with his rifle when shell
burst under his perch. When George
came to himself he was lying in the
crater or hole made by the explosion.
He tried to draw up one leg and fail
ed Then he tried to move his left
arm and failed at that. His cheek
was resting on something hard and
cold, and he managed to raise his head
sufficiently to see what his rigid pillow
was. 1t was iron, manufactured iron,
and, judging from what was uncov-
cred by the earth, it was sheet iron.
One who covets death from a dis.
lance is not 80 anxious for 1t as It ap.
breaches. Georges desire had been
for a sudden taking off without know
ing what was to happen. Now, lying
In shell hole in the ground, neither
friend nor enemy about, he was very
much concerned lest he die from In
attention. He knew that he had beer
wounded, but how seriously he was
ignorant. He made another effort t.
draw up HID leg, and this time sue
ceeded. 1t had only been benumbed
As to his arm, that was in very bat
shape. 1t had been mangled, and arte
rial blood was flowing from 1t. On
fortunately he had been unconscious
only a few moments, and there was
yet time to stop the bleeding. Making
a tourniquet of his handkerchief, b,
succeeded In COMPRISING the critic,
through which he was bleeding.
Having lain quiet for some time ant
feeling DESTROYS to do something TO
his safety, he sat up and looked abou
him. Being in hole, he could no
look far. Indeed, the only thing o
any interest whatever was his meta
pillow. Only one or two square fee
were uncovered. and George, tappinI
on 1t with the knuckle of his RICH
hand, made up his mind that 1t wa
thin and there was hollow space be
meath 1t.
Meanwhile shells were falling ant
bursting about him. He had beef
when dropped from the tree in advanc
of the British line, and it did not seen
to be any nearer him now. Nor did
appear that the Germans were an,
nearer. He had some curiosity Il
know what was under the iron Gov
ering, but, wounded as he was, thi
was impracticable. Having nothing t
do. he looked up at the tree above hin
1t was peculiar shape, and he notice,
this particularly.
Presently a shell burst so near hin
that it shook down some earth fror
the side of the hole he was in and GOV
cred the metal that had interested hin
He was sorry for this, because he ha
been contemplating an effort to ex
anime 1t more thoroughly. But he wa
very weak and would not likely hav
succeeded. Soon after this he hear
men tramping, the word Of command
and his comrades charged past him.
1t was not long after this that tn
Red Cross people came and, putin
George on a stretcher, took him to tn
rear, where he was examined. HI
arm had been so badly shattered b
a fragment of the shell that the SUI
geon attending him decided to ampJ
tate it George sighed He had com
to the war to find release from miser
and misery had been added. he ha
lost an arm, which would necessitat
his being discharged. Death was g
far from him as it had been before /
enlisted.
When George was discharged frol
the hospital and the army he was tol
that he would be sent back to Canad
He said nothing, but he thought goo