Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-08-29

standing characteristics that excite
the admiration of all who come in con
tact with them. They make the Amer
lean proud of his nationality and
arouse the envy of those who. by cir
cumstauceS over which they have no
control, are denied the priyif-e to be
one Of them.
Il there IS yet an American VINO
does not hate the Hun. he or she
should have seen the first trg.nload
of American wounded that arrived
here from Chateau-Thierry As these
heroes modcStly related thc'r expert
enceS, one had a mingled f.aling of
worship for them and intense hatred
for The hlood-maddeued beasts nho are
responsible for the awful agony which
the world is now suffering
In compartment with q number of
French wounded wHS a niuerefu-year-
old boy from Chicago. He was all
alone and surrounded hy men who
could not speak his language He was
in the most terrific pain but managed
To keep down the slightest groan.
Nothing could have drawn Il whisper
from him before his French comrades
in arms.
\ Red Cross doctor asked him II
there was anything he wanted
"Iust a drink of water, please" was
the low answer.
He got It, The doctor asked if there
was anything else he wanted The
hoy wanted to be turned on his side.
With a machine-gun bullet through
his leg and a wound that had scorched
its way across his hips 10 say moth
Ing Of an injured arm, he was perfect
ly incapable of helping himself
The doctor turned him on his side
and then discovered the lad had had
nothing 10 eat for 80 hours Unfor-
tunately he was only one Of many In
the same fix. The Red Cross did its
best and soon had what emergency
food il had in the hands Of those who
were still able 10 use them. The more
seriously injured. Of course, were the
first to be removed by the long line
of waiting amhulances.
Indomitabe Spirit
Before the train pulled in the ambu-
lanceS We're drawn up and waiting. So
was a small crowd. As the first am
hulance quit the station the crowd
started 70 cheer. There was a dough
hoy on the front seat with the driver,
one arm In a sling, the other stuffing
a sandwich into his mouth. He waved
the sandwich in acknowledgment,
while contpnted look came over his
drawn and tired face
The crowd increased as the ambu-
lances formed almost continuous
train. Words of sympathy were heard
on all sides not unminged with tears
as the flower of Young America that
had marched forth so valiantly few
short months before was palnstaking.
~ transferred to base hospitals.
At the end Of the procession came
a cortege that the crowd grasped the
meaning Of in moment They were
ambulances but their destination was
the cemetery and not the hospital.
The women wept openly and crossed
themselves. while the hat of every
man in the crowd came off in re-
Spectful salute to the dead.
The sight was one to wiring the
heart, but the indomitabe spirit Of
America bobhed up whenever a man
able to talk above gasp was found.
Many Of the wounds were from shrap-
mel. Whore they were not really
serious the poSsosSorS told the tale
Of what they had been through.
II was five o'clock in the morning Of
July Il before the platoon to which
Louis Cooke Of Rayville, La, belonged
saw the Germans approaching.
"Our officer Just yelled, Let's get
ON, boys . and we started after
them" said Cook. 1.-THE Heinies were
coming up on the south bank of the
Marine and there we're only eight of
us TO about sixteen Of them but we
sure cleaned out that first batch. My
pleasure ended right there, though
for piece Of Shrapnel banged me In
the left arm and II was back to the
woods for me. But, believe me, my
company did its share In driving the
Huns into the river
Didn't Know When TO Quit.
II anyone wants to know why tbs
Americans were ut first driven back
from the river bank. they are hereby
referred 10 Lonnie Shelton Of Bur
dine. Ky. SheltonS unit alone tool
over 500 prisoners when the Ameri
cans returned 10 the counter-aftack
and but for the fact that a number
of them were knocked out. as Shelter
was. they would have still been going
"They knocked us back at first by
the most terrific harrage | ever saw
turned loose, but we didn't stay bacI
long drclurcd he. 1--WE got the orde
TO counterattack, and the way W.
waded back into Mr.. Boche was some
thing to- write home about I've neve
seen such bunch as we had. The!
advanced yelling like hell. bayonette'
and shot down every Henle tina
didn't know enough to get out OF tn
way. Those guys could never bea
America In thousand years, and tel
'em | said 500
Kentucky had another man In tina