The Carlisle independent., 1918-08-22


 had fallen in bloody water and they did not eat these.
 A young fellow, hardly more than a boy, stumbled over the parados and fell into the trench right near the lieutenant and the lieutenant dressed his wounds himself I think he was some relation of the boy.
 The lieutenant asked him how he felt, but the boy only asked for water and smiled. But you could see he was in great pain. Then the boy said i: '"Oh. the pain is awful. I am going to die"
 'You are all right. old man." the lieutenant said. You will be home soon. The stretcher bearers are con- ing" So we passed the word for the stretcher bearers.
 Then he took the water bottle from the boys side and sat him up and gave him some water. He left the water bottle with the chap and went to hurry the stretcher bearers along When he got around the corner of the trench the boy was slipping back and the water bottle had fallen down. So l went over to him and propped him up again and gave him some more water.
 The lieutenant came back with the stretcher bearers and he asked one of them, so the boy could not hear him, if the boy would live.
 The stretcher bearer said: 'T don't think SC. One through his chest and right leg broken
 The boy had kept quiet for while. but all of sudden he yelled. Give me a cigarette - l handed him a ciga- rette butt that I had found in the dug out. We were all out of cigarettes.
 So they lif 1t for him and he kept quiet. As soon as they could they got around the corner of the fire bay with him and through a communication trench 10 q field hospital. The lieu tenant and I walked a little way with him and he began to thank us. and he told the lieutenant, "Old man, you have been father and a mother to me-
 And the lieutenant said to him: ''You have done well, old boy You have done more than your share
 When they started into the commu- nication trench the boy began to scream again. And the lieutenant acted like a wild man. He took out his cigarette case, but there were no cigarettes in it. and then he swore and put it back again. But in few min utes he had the case out again and talking to himself.
 "Tbe boy isn't dying like a gentle man." he said. "Why couldn't he keep quiet" l GO not think he meant it. He was all nervous and excited and kept taking out his cigarette case and putting il back again
 The other officer had gone on to in- spec1 the sentries when the boy rolled into the trench and a poilu came up to tell us that the officer had been hit. We walked back to where l had been and there was the officer. If I had been there 1 would have got it too, l guess. He was an awful mess. The veins were sticking out of his neck and one side of him was blown off Also his foot was wounded That is what shrapnel does to you. As I crawled past him l happened to touch his foot and ae cursed me all over the place. But when I tried to say I was sorry l could not, for then he apolo- gized and died moment later.
 sif ait n sticking out of the rags where his side had been blown away and the lieutenant crossed himself and reached in and took out tbe case. But when he pried open the case he found that it had been bent and cracked and all the cigarettes were soaked with blood. He swore worse than ever, then, and threw his own case away, putting the other officers case in his pocket.
 At this point our own artillery be- gan shelling and we received the order to stand to with fixed bayonets. When we got the order to advance some of the men were already over the para pet and the whole bunch after them, and, believe me, l was as pale as a sheet, just scared to death. I think every man is when he goes over for the first time-eyc -yA time for that matter. But l was glad we were going 10 get some action. because it is hard to sit around In @ trench under fire and have nothing 10 do. I had ali could do to hold my rife.
 We ran across No Mans Land. l cannot remember much about it. But when we got to the German trench ] fell on top of a young fellow and my bayonet went right through him. It was crime to get him, at that. He was as delicate as a pencil.
 When I got back to CUT trenches after my first charge l could not sleen