The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-07-11

yards from the shell hole when the
shrek Of a high explosive seemed to
come right down out Of the sky into
my ears, and the defamation which In.
stantly followed shook the slantine
sides Of the shell hole until dirt In III.
tie dusty rivulets came trickling down
upon me. Wounded as I was, drag.
ged myself up to the edge Of the hole.
There was no trace anywhere Of the
four men who had just left me. They
have never been heard OF since. Their
bodies were never found. The big
shell must have fallen right among
them and simply blown them to bits.
II was about quarter to seven In the
morning when was hit lay In the
shell hole until two I'm the afternoon,
suffering more from thirst and cold and
hunger than from pain. I only hoped
the Germans wouldn't drive our men
back over me. At two o'clock batch of
sixty prisoners came along under es-
cort. They were being taken TO the
rear under fire. The artillery bonn
bardment was still practically undl-
minlshed. I asked for four of the
prisoners and made one of them get
out his rubber ground sheet, carried
around his waist. They responded
willingly and seemed most ready to
help me. I had revolver (empty) and
some bombs In my pockets, but had
no need to threaten them. They half
dragged me toward the rear.
Carried to the Rear.
II was a trip which was not without
incident. Every now and then we
would hear the shrek of an approach
ing coal box" and then my prisoner
stretcher bearers and I would tumble In
one indiscriminate group into the near
est shell hole. II We did that once we
did II half dozen times. After each
dive the four would patiently reorgan-
lie and arrange the improvised stretch
er again, and we would proceed. Fol-
lowing every tumble, however, would
have to tighten my tourniquets, and,
iespite all I could do, the hemorrhagel
from my wound continued to flow sol
profusely that I was beginning to feel
very dizzy and weak. On the way inl
sighted our regimental dressing sta
ton and signed to my four bearers to
carry me toward it, / couldn't talk
German. The station was In an old
German dugout. Major Gilday was at
che door. He laughed when he saw
me with my own special ambulance
detail.
"well, what do you want7" he asked.
"Most of ALL" said, II think l want,
a drink of rum"
He produced it for me instantly.
snow" said he, my advice to you Is
to keep on travelling. You've got fine
special detail there to look after you.
Make 'em carry you to Pozieres. It's
only five miles. and you'll make 1t all
right. I've got this place loaded up
full, no stretcher bearers, no assistants.
no adequate supply of bandages and
medicines and a lot of very bad cases.
II you want to get out of here In a
week just keep right on going now"
As we continued toward the rear we
were the targets for a number Of hu-
morous remarks from men coming up
to go into the fight.
"Give my regards to Blighty, you
lucky beggar." was the most frequent
saying.
"Bli' me-" said one cockney Tommy,
there goes one o. tn Canadians with
~
Another man stopped and asked
about my wound.
Good work." he said. "Td like to
have a nice clean one like that my
self"
I noticed one Of the prisoners grim
ming at some remark and asked him II
he understood English. He hadn't
spoken to me, though he had shown the
greatest readiness to help me.
Certainly l understand English" he
replied. speaking the language perfect.
ly. 81 used to be waiter at the
Knickerbocker hotel In New York.
That sounded like a voice from home
and l wanted to hug him. / didn't
However, I can say for him he must
have been good waiter. He gave me
good service.
OF the last stages of my trip to Pc
zieres cannot tell anything, for ar
rived unconscious from loss of blood
The last remember was that the for
mer waiter, evidently seeing that
was going out, asked me TO direct hin
how TO reach the field hospital station
at POzieres and whom to ask for wheI
he got there. came back to con
sciousness In a clean hospital cot thu
next morning.
l realized as I lay on that cot I wa
out Of the modern hell for time, anC
my mind drifted back over the day
Just passed. Wounded men, grim re
minders, were all about me, many o
them worse OF than 1 was. had seeI
all kinds of bravery-British officer
climbing calmly over the top witt
mOnocles In their eyes and canes II
their hands into almost certain death
like a man getting into tub Of waite
where he knew he would get wet.
"Come on; let's go" they woul'
drawl. My respects to them.
And also TO the enemy. The Germal
officers fight TO the last. Few surren
der. My hat or to them. And tn
dead brave Major Lewis and poo
0 I'm II