The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-07-14

retreating compnes that we could
catch sight or.
AS We could do nothing more here,
gave orders 10 advance and rein
force the front line. Our way led
across field furrowed with she'll
| holes and spotted with bursting
| shells. Not a man hesitated. We
We're winning. That was all W" knew
or cared to know. We wanted 10
make it IL certainty for our fellows
! proceeding toward the German re-
serve trench ! saw four of orr men,
apparently unwounded, lying in d
shell hole. stopped to ask them
what they were doing there. AS I
spoke ! held my German rife and
5ayonet at the position Of guard .
the Zip of the bayonet advanced.
about shoulder high. didn't get their
answer, for before they could reply
felt IL sensation as if someone had
thrown a lump of hard clay and
struck me on the hip, and forthwith
! ,umbled in on top Of The four, al
most plunging my bayonet into one
Of them, 4 private named Williams.
McCiintock Badly Wounded.
! well, now YOU know what's the
matter with us said Williams. 1--WE
didn't fall in, but we crawled in"
They had all been slightly wound
led. | had twenty-five pieces Of shrap-
mel and some shell fragments embed
dnd in my left leg between the hip
and the knee followed the usual
custom of tho soldier who has got
IT," The first thing did was to light
"a flag" lcigarette). and the next
thing was to investigate and deter
mine if was in danger of bleeding
10 death. There wasn't much doubt
about that Arterial blood was squirt
ing from two Of the wounds which
were revealed when the other men
in the hole helped mo 10 cut off my
brarcches. With their aid l man
aged to stop the hcmorrhage by i'm.
provisins tOurniQuets with rags and
bayonets. One | placed as high up
rs possihe on the thigh and the other
just below the knee. Then we all
smoked another flag" and lay there
listrnin" 10 the big shells going over
and the shrapnel bursting near us.
II was quite Il concert. TOO. We dis
cussed what we ought to do, and
finally said:
Hero, YOU fellows can walk; and
rant. Furthermore. you're not able
10 carry nc. because you've got about
all any Of you can do 10 navigate
alone. II doesn't look as fits going
To BIZ any better here very soon. You
all proceed to the rear, and 1t you
can get someone to come after me
III br Obliged to YOU
They accepted the proposition, be-
cause it was good advice and, be-
sides, it was orders. was their su;
prrior officer And what happened
right confirmed me forever in my
early, Kcntuck bred conviction that
there is great deal in luck They
couldn't have Travelled more than
fifty wards from the shell hole when
the shrek Of Il high explosive seemed
10 come right down. out of the sky
into my ears. and tho defamation
which instantly folowed shook the
slanting sides of the shell hole until
frickling down up ME. Wounded as
was I dragged myself up 10 the edge
of the hole. There was no trace any
where of the four men who had just
left me. They have never been heard
of since. Their bodies were never
found. The big shell must have
fallen right amongst them and SIM
ply blown them to bits.
1t was about 4 quarter to sevon IN
the morning when | was hit. lay
in the shell hole until two in the aft
ernoon. suffering more from thirst
and cold and hunger than from pain.
i only hoped the Germans wouldn't
drive our men back over me. At two
o'clock a batch Of sixty prisoners
came along under escort. They We're
bning taken 10 the lrar under fire:
The artillery hnmhardment was still
practically undiminished. asked
for four Of the prisoners, and made
one Of them gel nui MS rubber ground
sheet, carried around his waist. They
responded Willingly and seemed most
ready TO help me-. had revolver
(omptyl and some bombs in my
pockets. but had no need 10 threat
en- them. Each Of tho four TOOK a
corner Of tho ground Sheet and with
mo lying on it they half carried and
half dragged mo toward the rear
Carried to the Rear.
II. was trip which was not with
out incident. Every now and then
we would hear tho shrek Of an APP.