Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-12
By Arthur Guy Ernpey

! ton all about me. and as my brain
cleared, snatches of it became in
! telligible.
My right hand seemed to be in n
wise. l could not release it Squir!n>
ing in bed, which sent a sharp,
shooting pain through my left shoul-
der, tried with my unbandaged eye
to see what was holding my wrist.
A Royal Army Medical Corps man
was sitting on the floor at the head
of my stretcher, and had my wrist
in his grasp. He was about twenty
years old. and looked dog-tired; his
chin would gradually sink to his
chest, as if he were falling asleep;
then he would suddenly start, lift up
his head with a jerk, and stare
around the room. Pretty soon his
eyelids would slowly close. I gave
my arm tug and he quickly OPEN
ed his eyes; then across his face
flashed smile. To me 1t appeared
like the sun rising from behind a
hill at day break. That smile sent
warm glow through me. L believe
that right then l was in love with
his boyish face. Then he opened his
mouth and. as is usual in such cases,
spoiled it all:
"Strafe me pink, but you do tyke
your own bloomin' time to come out
O. chloroform. Ere I've been, bloody
well balmy, 'oldin' your bloomin'
pulse"
out of the corner of my mouth
asked him:
Where am -"
Still smiling, he hailed a stretch
er bearer across the way.
"T sye, 'Awkins, this blighter
wants bloomin' map of France; e
wants to know where e is"
"Awkins," across the way, an
swered:
Tell i'm 'e's bloomin ell in Sam
Isaac's fish 'ouse down Tottenham
Court Road. awaitin' for is order o.
fish and chips"
This brought a general laugh from
the Tommies opposite me and on my
right and left.
Somewhat incensed at their mer-
riment, l retorted:
Quit your kidding; for the love
of Mike, have some sense What's
the matter? Am l wounded?"
The stretcher bearer. still with the
sunny smile on his face, which made
me feel a little ashamed at my re-
sentiment answered:
Nav, you ain't wounded, myte.
You Just 'appened to fall down in
the ploomln' road and one o. those
blinkin' tanks crawled over you"
This rather frightened me, and in
a pleading voice l asked:
Please tell me; what is the mat
ter with me-"
The stretcher bearer leaned over
and read from a little tag pinned to
my tunic:
C. $. T.. left face-(two) left
shoulder, out"
Then he carried on:
Hit means that you ave a rife
bullet through the left side of your
clock face) and two bullets
through your left shoulder, and that
you're a cot case, which means that
YOU won't ave to bloody we'll walk.
Two of us poor blokes will ave to
carry you on a stretcher. You sure
are lucky bloke; pretty cushy, l
calls it,"
I asked him if the wounds were
good.
He answered:
Yes, you're good for Blighty. and
I'm a'thinkin' that they're good for
a discharge. That left harm o.
your'n will be out o. commission for
the rest o. your life. Your wife. II
you've got one, will bloomin' well
ave to cut your meat for you. that
IS you're lucky enough to get any
blinkin' meat on the pension the
Top ats 'ome will and YOU"
A feeling of pride surged through
me. In a hospital of wounded sol
diers. a severely wounded case is
more or less looked up to, while a
man with a superficial wound is