American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-08-13


and then he asked, "How do you feel,
smashed up a bit?"
| answered I'm ali right, but I'd
give a quid for a drink Of Bass"
He nodded to the sergeant, who dis
appeared, and I'll be darned if he
didn't return with a glass Of ale. I
could only open my mouth about a
quarter of an inch, but l got away with
every drop Of that ale. 1t tasted just
like Blighty, and that is heaven to
Tommy.
The doctor said something to an or
derby, the only word 1 could catch was
'chlor" FORM" then they put some kind
Of an arrangement over my nose and
mouth and it was me for dreamland.
When L opened my eyes 1 was lying
on a stretcher, in a low wooden
building. Everywhere I looked 1 saw
rows of Tommies on stretchers, some
dead to the world, and the rest with
Tags 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 to grin with. I
grinned with my right eye, the other
was bandaged.
Stretcher-bearers came In and be-
gan to carry the Tommiss outside. You
could hear the chug Of the engines In
the waiting a~mbulances.
1 was put into an ambulance with
three others and away we went for an
e~ighteen-mile ride.
1 was on a bottom %stretcher. The
lad right across from me was smashed
up something horrible.
Right above me was a man from the
Royal Irish rifles, while across from
him was a Scotchman.
We had gone about three miles when
1 heard the death-rattle In the throat
of the man opposite. He had gone to
rest cross the Great Divide. 1 think
at the time 1 envied him.
The mar Of the Royal Irish rifles
had had his left foot blown off, the
jolting of the ambulance over the
rough road had loosened up the band
ages on his foot, and had started it
bleeding again. This blood ran down
the side Of the %stretcher and started
dspplng. 1 was lying on my back, too
weak to move, and the dripping Of this
blood got me in my unbandaged right
eye. 1 closed my eye and pretty soon
could not open the lid the blood had
CONCEALED and closed 1t, as If it were
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. c., They kept up a running
conversation about Blighty which al
most wrecked my nerves; pretty
500 from the stretcher above me, the
Irishman became aware of the fact
that the bandage from his foot had be
come loose; 1t must have panied hin
horribly, because he yelled in a louC
voice:
IF you don't stop this bloody dealt
wagon and fix this d bandage OF
my foot. I will get out and walk"
The girl on the seat turned arounC
and in a sympathetic voice asked
Poor fellow, are you very badl.
wounded?"
The Irishman, at this question, le
out a howl Of indignation and an
swered, Am 1 very badly wounded
what bloody cheek no, I'm not wound
ed, I've only been kicked by a canary
Bird
The ambulance Immediately stopped
and the corporal came to the ear anC
fixed him up, and also washed out m!
right eye. 1 was too weak to thanl
him, but it was a great relief. TheI
I must have become unconscious, be
cause when 1 regained my senses, tn,
ambulance was at a standstill, and m.
stretcher was being removed from it.
1t was night, lanterns were flashing
here and there, and 1 could see stretch
er-bearers hurrying to and fro. Thel
l vas carried into a hospital train.
The inside Of this train looked lik
heaven to me. just pure white, and W.
met our first Red Cross nurses W.
thought they were angels. And the.
were.
Nice little soft hunks and clean
white sheets.
A Red Cross nurse sat beside N
during the whole ride which Taste,
three hours. She was holding m.
wrist; 1 thought I had made a hit, an
tried to tell her how I got wounded
but she would put her finger to her lip
and say. yes, 1 ! know, but you mustn'
talk now, try to go to sleep, it'll do 20
good, doctors orders" Later on
learned that she was taking my pulls
every few minutes, as 1 was very wea.
from the loss of blood and they e1
pected me to snuff 1t, but 1 didn't.
From the train we went into ambu
lances for a short ride to the hospits
ship Panama. Another palace and nor
angels. 1 don't remember the tri
across the channel.
1 opened my eyes; 1 was being cal