The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1918-03-29

loudly dexterous in the use of their
peg" and even wait to hold open the
heavy doors for their less agile fell
lows.
They are not a laxative lot, these
"mutiles," as they sit in the reception
awaiting their turn to enter the
bureau. But lever does one come into
the place where the others are with
out receiving some kind Of greeting.
There is nothing particularly personal
about it; it seems rather recognition
of the shortened t~rouser-leg or the
empty sleeve as the token of what
they had all been through together
tout there" a sort of grim fellowship
Of sacrifice.
Most of them are young men, in
fantrymen, who have been wounded
either in the trenches or in the cheer
ing scramble lover the top" in an
assault. They are a ~well-shaven, de-
cidedly clean-looking crew, and many
of them are of fine physique barring
the lost arm or leg. One Of the singu-
lar things about them is the prolonged
silence in which they sit upon the
benches in the waiting room.
Shyness is scarcely what m would
expect of men who have all save
struck hands with the great adventure
even imagination does not suggest
shyness. But, as a matter of fact, il
is with unfeigned d~iffidence that these
men talk of themselves ever to the
bureau chief, whom they see one by
one and quite alone. The questions
asked of them, as part of the neces.
sary records of the bureau, RI an.
swered with pauses of confusion, with
resort to generalization which com.
prehend a world of suffering in a sen.
tence.
Here is one Of them, Ferdinand
G Once i, = fs y9an Isb %an: } in S tS5nsa 2s
His right leg has been amputated
above the knee, and with a "pilon,'
he clatters awkwardly through The
bureau doorway upon two shiny, new
crutches.
"How was l wounded, Monsieur !
Yes, my right leg. When? It was
in one of the attacks at Tahure. We
came out of the trenches that day
More, Monsieur? All, yes, we were
running forward, something burst be.
fore me and threw me down. 1t was
all wire, barbed wire, there, stretched
zig-zag, so, Monsieur. l was step
ping over when it burst at my feet
it tore away part of this leg-the
chief doctor took the rest of it off
Monsieur"
There is a long pause. Ferdnar
reaches for his handkerchief, because
this extended and difficult anecdot<
has brought the perspiration out up
or his forehead. AS he moves, one
Of the clutches slips and falls with 8
clatter to the floor. A quick smile Of
confusion succeeds the perspiration a.
the soldier stoops for his crutch. HI
is evidently relieved when he has an
other question to answer.
Hospital? ! was taken to x
Monsieur. Perhaps it would have
been better for me if I had not hae
to lie two days between the trenches
How? When l came to my senses
found l was caught in the barbet
wire, my clothing, Monsieur, and
couldn't nov far enough to get my
self free. There the brancardier!
found me-they couldn't come before
the firing was too heavy, n coult
not blame them, Monsieur. Oh, yes
l was very weak when they came,
seemed to have spent much TIM
sleeping there-but l was lucky, dom
you think, Mons;uer?
"What do l want to do for work
A shoemaker? No! A farmer again
Will that be possible-with my leg
Truly, Monsieur, l had never thought.
PohipI hin, oornoo Erni1o f.
from the Vesges; an older man-fort,
perhaps. He too wants to be a cobblel
It is the work which seems to attrac
most of them for the bench it offer:
His right leg also vas missing.
II was a canal boatman before
Monsieur. Yes, l want to go back t
the ropes-the boats are very stead
ed drollery. "My wound? In tn
tackled us-we could not hold our pr
down. l don't know what struck m
struck" He bent forward and touche
! where his knee had been: "Perhal
i nOC So DdU a WOullu az IlISC. i W.
: able to bind it with my other mo
! ~letiere (the spiral wool puttee of Il
! i~nfantryman) and that stopped tt
: blood, yes Monsieur. The German
= took me prisoner. l had been lyir
! for more than a day there when tn
: came upon me. l had tried to Graz
\ back but l could not. The thirst W;
! terrible, Monsieur-worse than t
: wound, perhaps.
my leg? The German doctor to-
3 it of-yes-and they kept me for
3 time, until I was we'll, they said. TIL
they sent me back to France. W
too lame to be of service, was it n
9 so, yes, Monsieur" He looked dov
at his "pilon." II have my living
make now-I am strong, will any he
: be given to me? Here are my paper
they tell"
. c., another applicant, had be
: a chauffeur in Bordeaux thin wi
g of a mar with a boys yellt
n ,,o,,%o,Lo oo L:c live r. ~,o s,oE,,si