Evening journal., 1918-05-07

the edge Of the village. had shot him
, through the sleeve with a machine gun
bullet lluclsily that was alD. and for
us 10 beat ii
Let me tell you we did. 7 threw
my knapsack and made the first hun
drcd yards in nothing fiat and then set
tied down 70 a walk because I was so
out Of breath ] couldn't run any more.
The incessant scream and crash and
bang Of the shells kept up and the rat
tat-tat OF the machine guns never
ceased. The village Immediately be-
hind us was a seething mass OF brick
dust smoke. flame and bursting shells
We were told on our way back that a
stand was TO be made behind this VII
lage, so we circled around 10 and took
up a position about a half mile behind
II at a crossroads.
Unfortunately for us. a six-inch bat
terry came into action about 30 yards
from us and. aside from the harassing
effect Of the terrific noise. batteries are
always unpleasant neighbors. as they
invite shell fire We stopped here un-
I'll about 10 o'clock at night, when we
were ordered 10 retire.
larry hOunuen Back.
There was no way Of getting out the
wounded that we had collected, so the
stretoher bearers carried them on their
stretchers for six or seven miles. In
fact. we all helped, and when we ar
rived at our destination at o'clock in
the morning Of the fifth day we were
all in
l could hardly move. but after two
big bowls Of hot tea and some hard tack
turned in on the floor and slept Ike
log for four hours, when we moved
TO another place and opened a dressing
station
on the way a German airplane came
down and crashed near the road. but
neither pilot nor observer were hurt
They were a couple Of rather neat look
ing lads about 40 years old.
And so 10 went for three days more,
open a dressing station, retire lsome-
times on the rum. long marches. very
little 20 eat except what we foraged
from abandoned camps and dumps. dog
tired, sleeping when and where we
could, and finally the division was re-
lieved. We now saw our first civilians,
and last night ] slept in a bed. 10
wasn't much Of a bed, and the mattress
was full Of humps, but to get my boots
on my sore and aching feet, TO stretch
out, and know / wouldn't be routed out
I'm 10 minutes-well, you couldn't have
bought that bed from me for 500.
Transferred 10 4. y. +.
Did you ever read Robert W. Ser
vices description Of the retreat from
Mons. Well, that's the way l felt.
Tramp, tramp. the grim road, the road
from Mons TO Wipers;
I've 'ammered out this dltty with me
bruised and bleeding feet,
Tramp. tramp, the dim road
We didn't ave no pipers-
All bellies that were 'oller was the
drums we ad TO heat.
The ninth day, sitting around the FIRE
In our mess after the best dinner we
had had In days, the commanding on
Ger handed me some papers ana said
Here Is something that viii interest
you, Petit / want 10 say we shall be
sorry 60 lose YOU"
And this Is what is wasG Lieutenant
Roswell r. Petit, NJ. r. c.. IS relieved
from duty with the British army anC
win proceed TO the A. r. r., where n,
win report for duty"
I leave for Paris in the morning. Thil
has been a long tale, but tho half Of 4
hasn't been told. | hope I haven
strung 10 out too much.
have Just been informed that all m,
kit had 10 he burned 90 prevent 10 fall