The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-11-10

reached twenty-five they told me that
perhaps there were a few more in
there, but they thought they'd better
let them stay. ol
My wounds had become septic, and IL
was necessary to give oil attention to
! drainage and cure. 1t was about this
time that everything for awhile seem.
ed to become hazy and my memories
got all queerly mixed up and confused
l recollect / conceived q violent dis
like for black dog that appeared
from nowhere now and then and be.
gan chewing at my leg, and believe
l gave the nurse severe talking to
because she insisted on going to look
on at the ball game when she ought to
be sitting by to chase that dog away.
And was perfectly certain about her
being at the ball game, because saw
her there when l was playing third
base.
The Alarming Cablegram.
1t was at this time (on Nov. %, 1916,
ten days after had been woundedD
that my father in Lexington received
the following cablegram from the Off
Ger in charge Of the Canadian records
In England:
Sincerely regret to inform YOU that Ser.
geant Alexander McClintocls is officially
reported dangerously i'll In No. 5 general
hospital from gunshot wound in left thigh.
Further particulars supplied when re-
ceived.
1t appears that during the time of
my adventures with the black dog and
the 1nattentive nurse my temperature
had ascended to the stage when the
doctors began to admit another method
OF treatment might have been success
ful. But 1 didn't pass out. The one
thing l most regret about my close call
is that my parents in Lexington were
In unrelieved suspense about my con-
dltiOn until myself sent them cable
from London ON Dec. Is. After the
1rst official message, seemingly pre-.
pared almost as preface to the an
houncement of my demise, my father
received no news of me whatever.
And, as l didn't know that the official
message had gone, cabled nothing TO
hlm until l was feeling fairly clipper
again. You can't have wars. though.
without these little misunderstanding
IL 1t were possible should say some
thing here which would be fitting and
adequate about the Englishwomen
who nursed the $500 wounded men IN
general hospital No. 3 at Rouen. but
that power isn't given me. All I can
do is to fall back upon our most pro-
FOUND American expression of respect
ana say that my hat is off to them
ohe nurse in the ward In which 1 Law
Ad been on her feet for flfty-six hours,
with hardly time even to eat. She
finally tainted from exhaustion. was
carried out Of the ward and was back
again in four hours, assisting at an
operation. And the doctors were do
ing their bit. too, In living up to the
oDl1gations which they considered to
be theirs. An operating room was I'm
every ward, with five tables in each
After the fight on the Somme, In which
| was wounded not table was va
Nuht any iouI III tllc UWenIY-IOur Tor
days at time. Outside Of each room
was long line of stretchers contain
ing patients next awaiting surgical at
tention. And in all that stress ! did
not hear one word Of complaint from
the surgeons who stood hour after
hour, using their skill and training for
the petty pay Of English army medical
officers.
On Dec. I was told I was well
enough to be sent to England< and on
the next day went on hospital train
from Rouen to Havre. Here / was
placed ON a hospital ship which every
medical officer in our army ought to
have chance to inspect. Nothing in
genuity could cOntrive for convenience
and comfort was missing. Patients
were sent below decks in elevators
and then placed in swinging cradles
which hung level no matter what the
ships motion might be. AS soon as
had been made comfortable in my
particular cradle l was given box