The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-07-05

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/ ! answered: I'm all right. but I'd
give a quid for drink Of Bass
He nodded TO the sergeant. who dis
appeared. and III be darned Il he
didn't return with a glass Of ale. l
could only open my mouth about q
quarter Of an inch. but got away with
every drop Of that ale. II tasted just
like BlIghty. and that Is heaven to
Tommy.
The doctor said something 20 an or
DERBY. the only word could catch was
"ehIorOforrn.T then they put some kind
Of an arrangement over my nose and
mouth and 1t was me for dreamland.
When ] opened my eyes 1 was lying
on a stretcher. in . low woodeh
building. Everywhere / looked saw
rows Of Tommies on stretchers, some
dead TO the world. and the rest with
flags In their mouths.
/ The main topic Of their conversation
was Blighty. Nearly all had a grin on
their faces. except those who didn't
have enough face left 10 grin with. .
grinned with my right eye, the other
was bandaged.
Suetcher-bearers came in and be-
gan to carry the Tommies outside. You
could hear the chug Of the engines In
the waiting ambulences.
/ was put into an ambulance with
three others and away we went for an
eighteen-mile ride.
/ m a k.sexr~. =
lad right across from me was smashed
up something horrible
Right above me was q man from the
Royal Irish rifles, while across from
him was Scotehman.
We had gone about three miles when
heard the death-rattle In the throat
Of The man opposite. He had gone TO
rest across the Great Divide. / think
at the time envfed him.
The man Of the Royal Irish rifles
had had his left foot blown OF, the
5olting Of the ambulance over the
rough road had loosened up the band
ages on his foot. and had started II
bleeding again This blood ran down
the side OF the stretcher and started
dripping. was lying on my back, too
weak to move, and the dripping Of this
blood got me IN my unbandaged right
eye. closed my eye and PRETTY soon
could not open the lid; the blood had
CONCEALED and closed II. as If il we're
glued down
An English girl dressed In khaki was
driving the ambulance. while beside
her on the seat was a corporal OF the
r. A. NJ. O.. They kept up a running
conversation about BliEhty which al
most wrecked my nerves; pretty
soon from the stretcher above me. the
Irishman became aware Of the fact
that the bandage from his foot had be
come loose; II must have panied him
horribly. because he yelled IN a loud
voice:
If you don't stop this bloody death
wagon and fix this D. bandage on
my foot. will get out and walk"
The girl on the seat turned around
and In a sympathetic voice asked.
Poor fellow. are you very badly
woundedT'
The Irishman. at this question, let
out a howl OF indignation and an
swered, -Am very badly wounded.
what bloody cheek no, I'm not wound
ed. I've only been kicked by canary
bird"
The ambulance Immediately stopped.
and the corporal came to the rear and |
fixed him up. and also washed out my |
right eye. / was too weak to thank |
MIN. bur II was great relief. Then
l must have become unconscious, be
cause when regained my senses, the |
ambulance was at a standstill. and my |
stretcher was being removed from It,
II was night, lanterns were flashing |
here and there. and could see stretch
er-bearers hurrying to and fro. Then
was carried into hospital train.
The inside Of this train looked like |
heaven to me. Just pure white. and We
met our first Red Cross nurses; we
thought they were angels. And they
were.
Nice little soft hunks and clean.
white sheets.
A Red Cross nurse sat beside me
during the whole ride which lasted
three hours. She was holding my
wrist; thought had made hit, and
tried to tell her how got wounded,
but she would put her finger to her lips
and say. Yes. know. but you mustn't
talk now. try to go to sleep. it'll do you
good, doctors orders" Later on
learned that she was taking my pulse
every few minutes, as was very weak
from the loss of blood and they ex-
pected me to snuff 1t. but l didn't
From the train we went into ambu-
lances for q short ride to the hospital
ship Panama. Another palace and more
angels. i don't remember the trip
across the channel.
opened my eyes: was being car
ried on stretcher through lanes of
people. some cheering. some waving
flags, and others crying. The flags were
Union Jacks. was In Southampton.
Blighty Mt last. My stretcher was
strewn with flowers. cigarettes. and
chocolates. Tears started to run down
my cheek from my good eye. ] like a
'ooby was crying. Can you beat it,
Then into another hospital train.