Oxford eagle., 1918-07-11

Z pltulg.
What Atwell said is not fl for pub
bcation, but ] strongly seconded his
opinion OF the war. army and divisional
/ headquarters in general
After Bit our spirits rose. We were
full-hedged spy-catchers, because our
! instructions and orders. said 90.
We Immediately reported TO the
nearest French estamlnet and had sew
eral glasses OF muddy water. which
they called beer. After drinking our
beer we left the estamlnet and hailed
En empty ambuE nee
After showing the driver our passes
we got In. The driver was going to the
part Of the line where we had 10 TO
port
How the wounded ever survived q
ride In that ambulance was inexplica-
bic to me. Ii was worse than riding on
9 gun carriage over a rock road.
The driver Of the ambulance was q
corporal Of the r. A II. c.. and he
had the wind up" that is, be had an
aversion 10 being under fire.
was riding on the seat with him
while Atwell was sitting in the ambu-
lance. with his legs hanging out Of the
back.
AS we passed through q shell-de-
srroyeo village mounted military po-
hceman stopped US and informed the
driver 10 be very careful when we got
ifsyrT An a.
dangerous. because the Germans lately
had acquired the habit Of shelling II
The corporal asked the trooper II there
was any other way around, and was
Informed that there was not Upon
this he got very nervous and wanted TO
turn back, but We insisted that he pro-
coed and explained TO him that he
would get into serious trouble with his
commanding officer II he returned
without orders; we wanted 70 ride.
not walk.
From his conversation we learned
that he had recently come from Eng
land with draft and had never been
under fire, hence his nervousness
We convinced him that there was not
much danger. and be appeared greatly
relieved.
When we at last turned into the open
road we were not 30 confident On
each side there had been q line of
trees. but now. all that was left OF
them were torn and battered stumps
The fields on each side OF the road
were dotted with recent shell holes,
and We passed several In the road II
self. We had gone about half a mile
when a shell came whistling through
the air and burst In q field about three
hundred yards 10 our right. Another
soon followed this one and burst on
the edge Of the road about four hun.
dred yards in front OF rs.
! told the driver 10 throw In his
speed clutch, as We must be In sigh
OF the Germans. ] knew the signs
that battery was ranging for rs, and
the quicker we got out Of its zone a.
fire the better. The driver was tren
bling Ike q leaf. and every minute
expected him 10 pile US up In the ditch
preferred the German fire.
In the back AfweIl was holding onto
the straps for dear life. and was sing
ing al the top Of his voice:
We beat you n the kkrns.
We beat you NJ the Aisne.
We gave you he'll Al Nsuvs Chspens.
And here we are again
Just then we hit q small shell hole
and nearly cnpsized- Upon q louC
yell from the rear looked behind. ant
there was Atwell sitting In the middl,
Of the road. shaking his fist az Us Hi
equipment which he had taken OF
upon getting into the ambulance, wal
strung out on the ground. and his rif,
was In the ditch.
] shouted 10 the driver 70 stop, anS
In his nervousness he put on u.
brakes. We nearly pitched out head
first But the applying Of those brake
saved our lives The next instan
there was q binding flash and q deaf
ening report All that ! remember 4
that ] was flying through the air, an
wondering II ] would land IN e sof
spot Then the lights went out
49, AlNC Gal nt l0uTlIl
water on my head out Of his bottle
On the other side Of the road the cor
poral was sitting. rubbing a lump o,
, his forehead with his left hand. Will
, his right arm was bound up in q blood
, soaked bandage. He was moanin
, very loudly. j had an awful headach
, and the skin on the left side of m
face was full OF gravel and the bloc
, was trickling from my nose.
But that ambulance was turned owe
In the ditch and was perforated wit
holes from fragments OF the shell. On
/. OF the front wheels was slowly revol,
: Ing, so ! could not have been "out" 70
long period
The shells were stin screaming owe,
7 head, but the battery had raised II
. IRE and they were bursting in a lttl
wood about half a mile from Us.
4 Atwen spoke up. Il wish that OF,
: Ger hadn't wished ms the best O. luck
n Then he commenced swearing.
: couldn't help laughing. though m
= head was nigh 10 bursting.
4 Slowly rising TO my feet felt myse
/. all over 10 make sure that there we,
hpnkav hrvaw d..