The Ordway new era., 1918-08-30
CHAPTER xxvII-continued.

one very nice-looking, OverenthuSi-
nstic young thing. stopped at my bed
and asked. what wounded you In the
face?"
In IL polite but bored tone an
swered. "A rifle bullet"
with n look of disdain she passed
20 the next bed. first calculating. "Oh!
Only n bullet? thought it was
she'll" Why she should think shell
wound was more OF distinction beats
me. don't see n whole lot of differ
ence ,iysef.
The American women's War hospi-
tai was a heaven for wounded men.
They were allowed every privilege pos
sibie conducive with the rules and mill
fary discipline. The only fault was
TINT the mems passes were restricted.
To get pass required an act of par
Lament. Tommy tried many tricks to
get out. but the commandant. an old
Boer war officer. was wise to them all.
and 1t took new and clever ruse to
make him afiix his signature to the
coveted slip Of paper.
As soon as II would get dark many n
patient climbed over the wall and went
'On his own" regardless OF many signs
staring him In the face. "Out of bounds
for patients" Generally the nurses
were looking the other way when one
of these night raids started. l hope
this Information Will get none OF them
Into trouble. but I cannot resist the
temptation to let the commandnnt
know that occasionally we put it over
on him.
one afternoon received note
through our underground channel. from
my female visitor asking me TO attend
party at her house that night. |
answered that she could expect me and
to meet me nj certain place on the
road well known by all patients, and
some visitors. as "over the wall"
told her would be on hand at seven
thirty.
About seven-fifteen 1 sneaked my
overcoat and cap out of the ward and
hid 1t in the bushes. Then told the
nurse, "A particular friend OF mine, that
was going for walk in the rose gar
den. She winked and | knew that ev
erything was all right on her end.
Going out of the ward j slipped into
the bushes and made for the wall. 1t
was dark as pitch and was cropping
through the underbrush, when sudden
ly stepped into space md felt myself
rushing downward, horrible bump.
and blackness. When l came to my
wounded shoulder was hurting horri-
bly,. I was lying against circular
wall Of bricks, dripping with moisture,
and far away could hear the trickling
of water. had In the darkness fallen
into an old disused well. But why
wasn't l wet? According to all rules
should have been drowned. Perhaps
! was and didn't know 1t.
As the shock of my sudden stop
gradually wore on 1t came to me that
1 was lying on ledge and that the
least movement on my part would pre-
cipitate me to the bottom OF the well.
l struck n match. In Its faint glare
1 snw that I was lying in n circular
Jhole about twelve feet deep-the well
i had been filled In The dripping had
heard came from water pipe over on
my right.
With my wounded shoulder 1t was
impossible to shinny up the pipe.
could not yell for help, because the
rescuer would want to know how the
accident happened, and I would be
hailed before the commandant on
charges. l just had to grin and bear
1t. with the forlorn hope that one of
the returning night raiders would pass
and | could give him our usual signal
of "siss-s-s-s," which would bring him
to the rescue.
Every hulf-hour could hear the
clock in the village strike. each stroke
bringing forth "A mufiied volley of
curses on the man who had dug the
well.
After two hours l heard two men
talking in low voices. | recognized
Corporal Cook. an ardent might raid
err" He heard my "siss-s-s-s" and
came to the edge of the hole. l cx-
pluined my predicament and amid n lot
of impertinent remarks, which at the
time did not resent l was soon fished
out.
Taking OF our boots. we snenked into
the ward. was sitting on my bed In
the dark, just starting to undress
when the man next to me. Ginger
Phillips. whispered "'Op II. Yank. ere
comes the matron."
1 imineuintelN GOT unuer tne covers
and feigned sleep. The matron stood
talking In low tones to the night nurse
and Tell asleep.
When l nwoke in the morning the
nigh; sister. an American, was bending
over me. An awful sight met my eyes
The coverlet on the bed and the sheets
were mass of mud and green slime
She was good sport all right. an,
hustled to get clean clothes and sheet'
80 that no one would get wise, but "ol
her own she gave me good tongue
Iashing but did not report me. One a
the Canadians in the ward describe,
Ii ..f Ii Ii