The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-08-18

bursting all around ~ Every
time he heard whistle he'd dive un'
der his car. ...s.r .,-
A Narrow Escape. *
1.-TWO brancardiers were killed rlgnt
alongside of him and he WASN'T
scratched. Well, we got the tire on
in a jiffy, and he went OH. just as
he rot to the end of the town one III
behind him and wounded the three
.blesses' who were inside, but didn't
toucb him at all. That was the worst
night we had, really.
sour French lieutenant found TWO
shrapnel balls In his clothes, but ne
wasn't touched. Waldo, had put MS
pocketbook in his left hand breast
pocket for the first time In his Ire
that night--a shrapnel bsfl went clear
through it and all the clothes but ne
wasn't touched. Two men we'e killed
right beside him.
.The night of the Goth poor Barber
got wounhed-a piece in his lung, one
in his stomach, and large chunk as
big as your fist, out of his back. How
ever, he is getting on very we'll ana
is very happy, as he had the dlstinc-
ton of being the only American am
bulance driver to have ever received
the Medaille Militaire. The whole Sec
ton is also very proud and happy
proud that one of Us got 1t and happy
because he is all right and Is getting
well.
II rolled all day the 9th, covering
$50 kilometers and carrying eighteen
'couches and six 'assis' all night, so
had twenty-six hours Of rolling. or
course, stopped for a bite OF lunch
and supper. Then rolled every night
until we quit.
I'VE are now back on 'repos,' and
we're all dead tired. Everybody's car
has holes or mudguards or something
smashed. Mine was very lucky. and
is whole and intact with the excep-
ton of a section of the rear mudguard
about a foot long, which was beat up
by an artillery wagon. Half the Sec
ton went into Paris yesterday for
forty eight hours, permission granted
for the good work we had done. etc.
The French lieutenant gave the other
half of us a dinner last night, which
was very good fun, at which he an
nounced that Mr.. Hill had been cited
again. That, being his third citation.
will give him a palm leaf. and that
Jackson, Clark, and l know your be
very pleased, l also would receive the
Croix de Guerre.
"When he called out my name +
was so darned surprised, that l must
have looked at him very queerly, be-
cause he said, Yes, you l asked Hill
why l got it later, and what he said
meant a great deal more to me than
receiving the G. G. However,, I know
you'll be pleased. w.
Reign Of Terror Over.
1.-THE reign of terror is over and 1t
all seemed like a bad dream. I've
still got a black and blue spot on my
leg where the brick hit me, but that's
all, thank the Lord. hope we don't
strike anything like that again.
II can't explain my feelings about
it, except that 1 was terrified abso-
lutely, and how I managed to go out
night after night, and on an average
of three trips night, don't know.
The psychology Of the thing is extraor-
binary. There were certain spots in
the road where you felt perfectly safe,
and others where just had to make
myself go through. Verdun, though un-
der continual shell fire, was always
u blessed relief. In fact, slept like
a baby there one night from nine I'M
til twelve before started. Everybody
says the same thing. You can't mag
inc the strain you're under. Every
body was swapping at each other all
the time about nothing, just from
want of sleep. TvefAept from about
ten until five during the day, at least
I always did. Some Of the boys used
to get up for lunch, but slept in
stead, and was glad of it, because
lasted much better at night that way.
"TOM,"