Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-07-04

could possibly do was done for him
don't know whether this was don,
under orders or whether the doctor,
just followed their own inclination,
in such cases.
My teeth had been badly Jared uI
from the shot, and hoped that NIGH
have chance to have them f1et
when l reached Courtrai, the prison
where l was to be taken. So l asked
the doctor if 1T would be possible 70,
me to have this work done there. but
he very CURLY told me that, although
there were several dentists at Cour
trai, they were busy enough fixing the
teeth of their own men without both.
ering about mine. He also added that
L would not have to worry about my
teeth; that I wouldn't be getting so
much food that they would be put out
of commission by working overtime. I
wanted TO tell him that from the way
things looked he would not be wear
Ing his out very soon either.
My condition improved during the
next two days, and on the fourth day
of my captivity / was well enough to
write brief message to my SQUAD
ron, reporting that was prisoner of
war and feeling fine" although, as
matter of fact, 1 was never so de-
pressed in my life. l realized. how
ever, that if the message reached nv
comrades it would be relayed to nv
mother in Momence, Ill, and l did not
want to worry her more than was alb
solutely necessary. 1t was enough for
her to know that was a prisoner. She
did not have to know that 1 was
wounded.
mad hopes that my message would
be carried over the lines and dropped
by one of the German flying officers. |
mat Is a courtesy which is usually |
practiced on both sides. 1 recalled |
now patiently we had waited in our
airdrome for news of our men who had
tailed to return, and 1 could picture /
my squadron specializing on nv fate.
That is one of the saddest things
connected with service in the R. F. C.
You don't care much what happens to
you, but the constant casualties among
your friends are very depressing.
You go out with your flight" and
get into muss. You get scattered.
and when your formation is broken I'D
you finally wing your way home alone.
Perhaps you are the first to land.
Soon another machine shows in the
sky, then another, and you patiently
wait for the rest to appear. Within an
lour, perhaps, all have shown I'D save
me, and you begin to speculate and
Wonder what has happened to him.
Has he lost his way? Has he landed
It some other airdrome? Did the
Iuns get him?
When darkness comes you realize
hat, at any rate, he won't be back that ,
light, and you hope for a telephone 1
all from him telling Of his where
bouts.
If the night passes without sign or I
FORD from him, he is reported as miss
ne and then you watch for his cas- 8
atty to appear in the war office lists.
One day, perhaps a month later. q I
lessage is dropped over the line by I
lie German flying corps with a list of G
llots captured or killed by the Huns. Y
nd then. for the first time, you know r
why it was your comrade b
lied to return the day he last went v
yer the line with his squadron. "
l was still musing over this melan- q
loly phase Of the scouts life when
orderly told me there was beauti- 1,
Il battle going on in the air, and he II
'lunteered to help me outside the fl
'Spital that I might witness it, and a
readily accepted his assistance. K
That afternoon 1 saw one of the n
NEST fights ever expect to witness. m
There were six of our machines to
ainst perhaps sixteen Huns. From IL
e type Of the British machines knew OF
at they might possibly be from my OF
n aerodrome. Two Of our machines
d been apparently picked out by h,
of the Huns and were bearing the W
unit of the fight The contest seemed W
me to be so unequal that victory for di