Williston graphic., 1918-07-11
OVER THE TOP
Continued from page 6)

!
With my wounded shoulder 1t was
impossible to shiny up the pipe.
could not yell for help, because the
I rescuer would want to know how the
accident happened. and I would be
hailed before the commandant on
charges. l just had to grin and bear
1t, with the forlorn hope that one OF
the returning night raiders would pass
and could give him our usual signal
| of "siss-s-s-s," which would bring him
to the rescue.
Every half-hour I could hear the
clock in the village strike, each stroke
| bringing forth muffled vOlley of
| curses on the man who had dug the
we'll.
After two hours I heard two men
talking in low voices. 1 recognized
Corporal Cook, an ardent might raid
! er." He heard my "siss-s-s-s" and
came to the edge of the hole. I ex-
planned my predicament and amid lot
of imper6nent remarks, which at the
time did not resent, was soon fished
out.
Taking off our boots, we sneaked into
the ward. l was sitting on my bed in
the dark, just starting to undress
when the man next to me, "Ginger"
Phillips, whispered, "'Op it, Yank, ere
comes the matron."
Immediately got under the covers
and feigned sleep. The matron stood
talking in low tones to the night nurse
and fell asleep.
When l awOke in the morning the
night sister, an American was bending
over me. An awful sight met my eyes.
The coverlet on the bed and the sheets
were q mass of mud and green slime.
She was good sport all right, and
hustled to get clean clothes and sheets
so that no one would get wise, but ION
her own" she gave me a good tongue
lashing but did not report me. One of
the Canadians in the ward described
her as being "a Jake of good fel.
low"
Next visiting day I had an awful
time explaining to my visitor why
had not met her at the appointed time
and place.
And for week every time passed
patient he would call, "Well, we'll,
here's the Yank. Hope you are feel
ing well, old top"
The surgeon in our ward was an
American, Harvard upit man, named
Frost. We nicknamed him "Jack
Frost" He was loved by all. If a
Tommy was to be cut up he had no OBJ
lection to undergoing the operation if
"Jack Frost" was to WELD the knife
Their confidence in him was pathetic.
He was the best sport have ever met. |
One Saturday morning the command |
ant and some "high up officers were
inspecting the ward, when one of the
patients who had been wounded in the !
head by bit of shrapnel. fell on the
floor in a fit. They brought him round,
and then looked for the ward orderly
to carry the patient back to his bed
at the other end Of the ward. The Or
derly was nowhere to be found-like
our policemen, they never are when
needed. The officers were at loss
how to get Palmer into his bed. Doc
tor Frost was fidgeting around in a
nervous manner, when suddenly with
a muffled "d-n" and few other
qualifying adjectives, he stopped down
and took the man in his arms like
baby-he was no feather, either-and
down the ward with him, put
him in bed and undressed him. A low
Of approval came from the pa.
tents. Doctor Frost got very red, and
rs soon as he had finished undressing
Palmer, hurriedly left the ward.
The wound in my face had almost
healed and was horrible-looking
'ight-the left cheek twisted into
Snot, the eye pulled down, and my
mouth pointing in a north by north
vest direction. 1 was very dOwnheart-
I'd and could imagine myself during
he rest of my life being Stunned by :
III on account of the repulsive scar,
Doctor Frost arranged for me to 60
o the Cambridge Military hospital Mt
Aldershot for a special operation to
L &L1 Il