Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-12-04

E~I
WILLIAM J. ROBINSON
CHAPTER xL
Preferred Firing Line TO Hospital
COON after this I reported sick fol
- the first time since I had been In
the British army. had growth
in my throat, and they sent me to
hospital In Armentieres. There they
removed the growth and put me to
bed on q stretcher.
Twas in the hospital only three days,
and during my stay there the Germans
shelled the town the entire time.
felt awfully sorry for the poor fellows
there who were helpless and didn't
know at what moment q shell might
come through and wipe them OF the
face of the earth.
l stood 1t for three days, and when
saw that they had made no move to
discharge me from hospital ! asked
the orderly in my ward when ! would
be likely to get out
"Oh," he said, you won't Be out Of
here for a week yetr'
Wont II" asked. "Wer, you just
10 down to the other end Of the ward
and turn your back for few moments
and see whether will get out or notr'
he said he couldn't do q thing like
that, but the, next time he was down
there l simply got up and walked out
In these hospitals 30 near the firing
line there are no such things a. beds,
and one simply lies on q stretcher with
bis clothes all on.
When l reached the gate Of the hos
pital l found q policeman on duty
there, but I simply said the magic
word 'Duty" and walked right by him.
I got q lift on q motor lorry for four
teen miles. and l walked the other
eight back to camp.
When I returned and reported my.
self they asked me for my discharge
sheet, but said I had lost It, 30 there
was nothing they could do about It
In the spring of 1915 the kaiser paid
q visit to the German trenches. I guess
he came very quietly, for the nrst we
knew Of 1t was when the Germans In
the trenches opposite US raised big
board above their parapet, on which
was printed something like this:
THD EMPEROR WAS HNRH YEsTER-
HAD YOU ONLY KNOWNi
THE ENGLISH WERE EVER SLOW!
Our chaps printed a board which
went them one better. Il said:
THE KING HAS BEEN HERE TWICE
TOMORROW THE PRESIDENT
OF FRANCE COMES.
WE ARE NOT AFRAID TO TELL YOU
NOW.
To carry the Joke to the end, some
body dug up q silk hat from some
where, and about / o'clock all the fel.
lows began to cheer. They stuck the
hat on the end Of q stick and carried
It along the trench 10 that 1t could be
seen.
That hat was absolutely riddled with
bullets, but they carried 1t clear to the
end of the trench, and then they threw
both hat and stick over the parapet, 80
that the Germans could see how they
had been fooled And how our fellows
howledl
The Germans were 20 mad I think
they would have done M violence had
they had the opportunity. A little
thing like that means q lot to the boys
In the trenches, and It L. the subject
Of conversation for days and days
afterward.
Later we began to have more trouble
with spies. We caught punches Of
them, but there always seemed to be
more about, Occasionally there would
be a Belgian among them, but for the
most part they were Germans, and we
could not understand It We caught
them In all guises, but for the greater
part they seemed to fancy kits a. be-
Ing above suspicion. On the face Of
the thing this is ridiculous. for who
can initiate the Scotch accent 20 - 70
get by in the British lines1
In one week we caught fourteen Ger.
mans who were wearing the kilt, and
they all seemed very much surprised
that they should have been captured
while posing az Scotchmen.
To put stop to this spying II was
decided to close all roads for period
Of twenty-four hourh All men were
warned that from 8 o'clock on such
and such a night until 8 o'clock the
following night they were not to leave
their units without the special pass
provided for these twenty -four hours
sentries were placed 200 yards apart
on all the roads In the daytime and 100
yards at night All these preparations
were made very quietly and the great
est secrecy preserved. I was detailed
with my car to patrol certain roads
during the twenty-four hours, and. Of
course, all the other roads were pa
trolled too We had orders to stop ev.
cry one we met, and II they were not
provided with the special pass we were
TO take them prisoners regardless OF
what uniform they were wearing. It
looked like tiresome work. but It prov.
ed to be rather exciting.
I started over my route promptly at
Q o'clock, and you may be sure was
all on edge to make q capture Ny
car was flying the Dag Of the army
corps headquarters, 20 was not both
cred By the sentries stopping me.
went over the route the nrst time with
out meeting . soul who wasn't quite
al right I was much disappointed.
for I thought would be picking up
spies wholesale. On the second trip !
began to think that was going to
have about the same luck a. ] did on
the frst, Tor everything seemed very
quiet and peaceful
came 10 the village Of Herzeele ana
turned into the road which leads to
Watou. and, q I said, was begin.
ming 10 b. sick Of my job There was
rather Z sharp curve IN this road, and
- I turned Il ! saw By the Hight Of
my electric headlights two men stand
ins h the middle of the road The
minuts they caught dght Of my car