The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-05-23
Till TOP
81
AN AflERI(AN S0I,DIER
WHO WENT q 3
ARTf1UR GUYEfIpEY
GUNNER, SERVING NRANt-
GIa7 o.
NRIhuR aT EnfN

stroyed village a ms ted military po-
Hceman stopped us and informed the
driver to be very careful when we got
out on the open road, as II was very
dangerous, because the Germans lately
had acquired the habit Of Smelling IL.
The corporal asked the trooper II there
was any other way around, and was
Informed that there was not. Upon
this he got very nervous and wanted to
turn back, but we insisted that he pro-
coed and explained to him that he
would get into serious trouble with his
commanding officer IL he returned
without orders; we wanted to ride.
not walk.
From his conversation we learned
that he had recently come from Eng
land with a draft and had never been
under fire. hence his nervousness.
We convinced him that there was not
much danger, and he appeared greatly
relieved.
When we at last turned into the open
road we were not so confident. On
each side there had been a line of
trees, but now, all that was left Of
them were torn and battered stumps.
The fields on each side of the road
were dotted with recent shell holes,
and we passed several in the road it
self. We had gone about half a mile
when a shell came whistling through
the air and burst In a field about three
hundred yards to our right. Another
soon followed this one and burst on
the edge of the road about four hun
dred yards In front of us.
l told the driver to throw In his
speed clutch, as we must be in sight
of the Germans. / knew the signs ;
that battery was ranging for US, and
the quicker we got out of its zon Of
fire the better. The driver was trem-
bling like a leaf, and every minute l
expected him to pile US up In the ditch.
/ preferred the German fire.
In the back Atwell was holding onto
the straps for dear life, and was sing.
ing at the top of his voice:
We beat you at the Marine,
We beat you at the Aisne,
We gave you hell at Neuve Chapelle,
ana mere we are again.
Just then we hit a small shell hole
and nearly capsized. Upon a loud
yell from the rear / looked behind, and
there was Atwell sitting In the middle
of the road, shaking his fist at us. His
equipment, which he had taken of
upon getting into the ambulance, was
strung out on the ground. and his rife
was In the ditch.
/ shouted to the driver to stop, and
In his nervousness he put on the
brakes. We nearly pitched out head
first. But the applying Of those brakes
saved our lives. The next instant
there was a binding fash and a deaf
ening report. All that / remember Isl
that l was flying through the air, and
wondering If l would land in a soft
spot. Then the lights went out.
When l came to. Atwell was pouring
water on my head out of his bottle.
On the other side Of the road the cor
his forehead with his left hand, while
his right arm was bound up in a blood
soaked bandage. He was moaning
very loudly. l had an awful headache
and the skin on the left side of my
face vas full of gravel and the blood
was trucking from my nose.
But that ambulance was turned over
In the ditch and was perforated with
holes from fragments of the shell. One
of the front wheels was slowly revolv-
ing, so l could not have been "out" for
a long period.
The shells were still screaming over.
head, but the battery had raised Its
fire and they were bursting in a little
wood about half a mile from us.
Atwell spoke up. 81 wish that off,
Ger hadn't wished US the best o. luck"
Then he commenced swearing. /
couldn't help laughing. though my
head was nigh to bursting.
Slowly rising to my feet 1 felt myself
all over to make sure that there were
no broken bones. But outside of a few
bruises and scratches l was all right.
The corporal al still moaning, but
more from shock than pain. A she'll
splinter had gone through the flesh of
Has Aibhl AOISdim. ANVIL anu L. ITOIu
our first-aid pouches, put a tourniQuet
on his arm to stop the bleeding and
then gathered up our equipment.
We realized that we were In a dan
gerous spot. At any minute a shell
might drop OF the road and finish us
off. The village we had left was not
very far. so We told the corporal he
had better go back to it and get his
arm dressed, and then report the fact
of the destruction of the ambulance to
the military police. He was well able
to walk. so he set of In the direction
of the village, while Atwell and / con-
tlnued our way on foot.
Without further mishap we arrived
at our destination, and reported TO bri-
gade headquarters for rations and bill
lets.
That night we slept in the battalion
sergeant majors dugout. The next