Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-12-27
tcopyriEht. bI w. q. chapmaal

or ten men Of the stretcher bearers
company, were waiting for the two.
The little troop was returning to the
trenches after FIVE days of relief at a
rest camp.
you're the two men from the base
hospitnlT' asked the sergeant. "All
right Fall in. Right turn! Quick
marchi"
They moved away down a slope and
began to pick their way along the be-
ginning Of maze of trenches.
The roar of guns, which had never
ceased by night or day, and had long
ceased to be noticeable, was louder
now.
Suddenly the sergeant stopped.
"There was ten of you," he said to
the corporal.
"All here" responded the corporal.
The sergeant turned to Mark.
where's your mater he asked.
Mark, who had been plodding along
under the impression that Hartley was
following, turned round, to find that
he was the last of the party. Hartley
was nowhere to be SEEM
The sergeant ran back few PAGES,
to return breathless and red In the
face. He's gone, the silly foOlr' he
spluttered. "Must have taken the
wrong turn at the bend. Go back and
get himl"
But Hartley was not at the bend.
The sergeant Joined Mark, incredulous.
They scrambled up the bank and
scanned the level road. There was no
| pedestrian in sight.
Hes taken the wrong turn some
where" insisted the sergeant. "Come
along with me! We've got to find
him!"
They began doubling back, shout
ing, until they reached the end of the
trench system. Still Hartley could not
be found.
'If he u1n't on hand I'll be broke, "
the sergeant grumbled. "And I'll break
his head for him. You medical corps
chaps are like bunch of babies. Ought
to have q nurse and baby carriage for
each Of you"
Reluctantly he abandoned the search
and they rejoined the others. The SER
geant, in an ugly mood, ordered them
sharply onward, but could not resist
casting occasional looks back to see II
the missing man was coming. How.
ever, at last he resigned himself to
what seemed inevitable. The trench
wsdened into q deep, wide, parallel one
extending In zigzngs to right and left
Of them.
A large dugout, made shell-proof
or as nearly as possible so, by
a roof of heavy beams, sacdbags
!. and corrugated steel, bore the Red
Cross upon the door. Inside q mum
Der of stretcher bearers were lounging
The sergeant halted his men an(
stepped into q smaller dugout beside
1t. In minute he came out and beck
J oned to Mark to follow him. MARI
entered, to flnd himself in the pres
ence of the captain commanding thu
gtretcher bearers company, and-Kel
: lermnn. He saluted and stood to at
: tention, watching Kellerman's eye
wander over him appraisingly.
} "Orderly, where's the man who cam,
} with your" inquired the Captain
briskly.
: "He disappeared on the wny up, sir,
/ answered Mark.
, "What do you mean by disappeared
Did you see him go back? Or was h
! With you one minute and gone tn
| next?
D "I thought ne was behind me, sir.
= didn't see him go, or know anythin
). about it."
3 The Captain, who had been holdin
9 the receiver of his telephone, and evi
IDENTIFY waiting for his connection, 60
1t. Mark heard him sending out ger
ernl notice of the absent man. 81
gave his number, and the name "Hal
: ley"
!. No doubt he had mistaken 1t as h
!. received it by telephone from the no:
' pltal that morning.
d you'll parade before me tomorro'
q morning." said Captain Keyes to th