The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-01-13
How al orseEarned
the Victoria Cross
By F. A. Mitchell


his right arm. When he was dis
charged and went home his little son,
Bob, asked him if he had killed any
one
why do you ask that, Bobbie?a
said his father.
Zoos if you didn't don't see what
you went to the war for.''
"Well, 1 don't believe 1 killed sins
gle man. At any rate, II did 1 didn't
know It At one time we were pour.
in volley into the enemy's ranks.
and I could see them droppin' here,
there, everywhere. 1t didn't trouble
me at all. Now / think of It there
was not one Of those poor fellows
whose death or woundin' filed me
with any feelin' except exhilaration.
It was like shootfn' at flock OF birds.
And yet every one Of 'em had one or
more persons at home to grieve for
him II they knew what had happened.
''But there was one KILN that did
troubIeme. and / reckon III never for
get It. I was detailed at regtmentaI
headquarters. AT one time when
there was a lun In the ightin' and
the men were beautifyfn' the trenches
the colonel's daughter came over from
England. She said she had come to
be nurse. ButAt didn't turn out that
way. She was q chippery little gaI
with a wfnnin' smile, and nobody that
came near her eDuld resist her. One
day she came to me and she says, Says
she:
Orderly, you look like q kind
hearted man. DoR't you want 60 da
me favorT
EN-. course do, miss. What shall
It be-?
Take a note for noe to a leftenant
In the trenches a few miles 30 the
south
"'Supposin' the colonel Cabs for me
while I'm awayP
GThatn be all right. IN tell papa
that you have gene away on my ac4
count
Miss Gladys was riiin' a bay horse
that her father had got for her. His
name was Fox. She told me to take
Fox, and before 1 started she handed
me bit of paper with the message
written on it. It wasn't sealed. Miss
Gladys told me to read it after had
left her and if lost 1t to tell it TO the
leftenant. AS soon as got away from
her read the paper, and what do you
suppose the message was? Why, moth
IN but "A thousand kisses
81 didn't mind that there was moth,
In more important about it. | just
kept on, and when I got to the trench
where was to find the leftenants
regiment It had gone off with a force
for it wasn't all trench work in them
days-to fight the Germans. I didn't
know that he could even read them
kisses at the front, but I'd promised
the little girl I'd deliver 'em, and
was bound to keep my word. come
up at the rear Of the regiment was
lookin' for, and just before reachin' 1t
an officer, lynn on his back wounded,
called:
Il say, my man, get me somepin
TO stop the blood. I'm bleedin' to
death
81 can't stop, sir. I'm charged with
delfverm' message to Leftenant Wal
ker of the Sixty-seventh.'
"I'm Leftenant Walker
that piece of shrapnel had cut an
artery in his leg, tore off some of his
shirt, wrapped It around the wound
and, takin' up stick, made a tourni4
quet- Then the leftenant told me to
go for surgeon quick. As was rid
In away he called out, What's the
messenger And | hollered back, "a
thousand kissesP didn't stop to say
who sent them. knew that If l didn't
get surgeon quick he would bleed to
death.
Il had to ride long way for the
surgeon and would have got him In
time If It hadn't been that Fox went
like the wind Just as / was comm to
a hospital where would likely find
surgeon the animal crossed deserted
trench without seem It and fell, tossin'
me ahead on the other side. I saw
that one Of his legs was at a right an
gle and couldn't go any farther on
him. ran on to the hospital, got
surgeon and a new mount. and We
went back to the leftenant He was
nearly gone, but the surgeon told me
to pour some liquor down him, while
he tux up the ends Of The artery.
Gan right he said at last. he's
saved. A few minutes more and 1t
would have been too late Then the
leftenant said to me: The message did
1t. 1 held on for her sake Not at
ALL I said Tt was the horse that
broke his leg goin' so fastthat he didn't
see the trench
with that made of FOR Fox. Az
rode up to him he looked at me mel
ancholy-like, and when he saw me draw
my revoiver-for horse With a broken
leg must be shot-he give me a look