Gunnison news-champion., 1918-05-17

N, nsttents-- Generally the nurses
we're looking the other way when ons I
of these night raids started l nops
this information will get none OF them
into trouble. but I cannot resist Inc
termination to let the commandans
know that occasionally We put II ovee
on him
One afternoon received q note
through our underground channel. from
nv female visitor. asking me to atfen4
n party at her house that night
answered that she could expect me ana
10 meet me at q certain place on inc
road well known by all patients. an9
some visitors, as ''over the wall. =
told her 1 would be on hand at seven
thirty.
About SEVENTEEN I sneaked my
overcoat and cap out Of the ward ana
hid II in the bushes. Then told the
nurse. n particular friend Of mine, thae
I was going for a walk in the rose gar
den. She winked and I knew that evs
ery.hine was all right on her end.
Going out of the ward, slipped Int
the bushes and made for the wall. u
was dark as pitch and was cropping
through the underbrush, when suddeo.
ly stepped into space and felt myself
rushing downward. q horrible bump
and blackness. When I came to my
wounded shoulder was hurting horri'
bly,. was lying against circula1
wall Of bricks, dripping with moisture
and far away I could hear the tricklino
Of water. had In the darkness fallen
into an old disused well. But why
wasn't wet? According to all rules
I should have been drowned. Perhaps
I was and didn't know 1t.
As the shock Of my sudden stop
gradually wore OF 1t came to me that
/ was lying on a ledge and that the
least movement on my part would pre-
cipitate me to the bottom of the well
/. struck a match. In Its faint glare
saw that l was lying In circular
hole about twelve feet deep-the well
had been filled in! The dripping had
heard came from a water pipe over on
my right.
With my wounded shoulder 1t was
impossible to shiny up the pipe. ]
could not yell for help, because the
rescuer would want to know how the
accident happened, and / would Be
hailed before the commandant on
charges. / just had to grin and bear
II. with the forlorn hope that one Of
the returning night raiders would pass
and I could give him our usual signal
Of "siss-s-s-s." which would bring him
to the rescue.
Every half-houf I 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 I heard two men
talking In low voices. I recognized
Corporal Cook, an ardent might raid.
err" He heard my "siss-s-s-s" and
came to the edge Of the hole. I ex.
planned my predicament and amid a lOb
Of impertinent remarks, which at the
time did not resent, d was soon fished
out.
Taking off our boots, we sneaked into
the ward. was sitting ON my bed in
the dark, just starting to undressss
when the man next to me, "Ginger"
Phillips. whispered. "'Op 1t, Yank, ere
comes the matron."
Immediately got under the covers
and feigned sleep. The matron stood
talking In low tones to the night nurse
and fell asleep.
When awoke In the morning the
night sister, an American, was bending
over me. An awful sight met my eyes
The coveriet on the bed and the sheets
were mass Of mud and green slime.
She was . good sport all right. and
hustled to get clean clothes and sheets
80 that no one would get wise, but ION
her own" she gave me a good tongue
lashing but did not report me. One Of
the Canadians in the ward described
herSas being ~ Jake Of q good fel.
low"
Next visiting day I had an awful
time explaining to my visitor why I
had not met her at the appointed time
ard place.
And for week every time I passed
patient he would call. swell, well.
here's the Yank. Hope you are feel.
Ing well. old top"
The surgeon in our ward was an
American. Harvard unit man, named
Frost. We nicknamed him @Jack
Frost" He was loved by all. Na
Tommy was to be cut up he had no OBJ
lection to undergoing the operation II
Jack Frost" was to WELD the knife.
Their confidence in him WINS pathetic,
He was the best sport have ever met.
One Saturday morning the command.
ant and some 'high up" officers were
inspecting the ward, when one of the
patients who had been wounded in the
mead by bit Of shrapnel. fell on the
moor In at. They brought him round.
ana then looked for the ward orderly
to carry the patient back to his bed