The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1918-11-20


must be postponed, then.
weston, you'd better get your
breakfast at once" said the sergeant
major. "And have your kit packed in
twenty minutes. You and Hartley are
going up to the front"
The senior captain temporarily COM
handing the detachment unbent from
the official air which he was trying
terribly hard to assume.
"You were specially asked for from
headquarters" he said, with another;
man; and I'm sending Hartley be-
cause he's your friend. They want tive
more men for the stretcher bearers
company. Well be sorry to lose you.
Weston"
Mark saluted and went out just as
Hartley appeared at the door The
sergeant major enlightened Hartley,
briefly.
"You must have some pull a. head
quarters, Weston" he said. Ia you !
know Major Kellermanr'
"a little, sir" answered Mark grfHiy
swell, he seems to know All aLOuE.
-.
ephone that he must have you. Hell
be your o. G. now for a while. 81
things ought to run smoothly for yOul,
"He's not a doctor, SIR
"No, but the stretcher bearers aren't
a medical corps; they're attached tt
the -th."
Mark hurried away. In the barrRcs .
room, at breakfast, the two were the
subject of mingled jests and cons,r:.E1-
latiOns. The stretcher bearers, forlil-
ing, as it were, the last supports OF 2
the infantry, shared with them tbs
great proportion of casualties. keller
mans scheme was perfectly clear to 20
Mark.
He was in wretched state OF ninC
when the car steamed into the depo
at the end of the narrOw-gauge line
He descended into a city, a mushroom
city of the supply and transporrzinl
department.
A sergeant and corporal, witts min
or ten men of the stretcher beazers
company, were waiting for the gsz
The little troop was returning To- the
trenches after five days of relief al
rest camp.
you're the two men from the SaT
hospital?" asked the sergeant. "A
right Fall in. Right turni ouicE
march,
They moved away down a slope ST
began to pick their way along the be-
ginning Of maze of trenches
The roar of guns, which had nsyei
ceased by night or day, and had ions
ceased to be noticeable, was IOude,s
now.
Suddenly the sergeant stopped.
"There was ten Of you," he said t.
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 wat
following, turned round, to find thar
he was the last of the party. Hartle.
was nowhere to be seen.
The sergeant ran back few paees
to return breathless and red in the
face. Hes gone, the silly fOoII@ he
spluttered "Must have taken the
wrong turn at the bend. Go back anc
get himl 70
But Hartley was not at the bend
The sergeant Joined Mark, incredulOuS
They scrambled up the bank an6
scanned the level road There was Nc
pedestrian in sight.
To- fol fhn
where" insisted the sergeant. Come
along with mel We've got To fine
him!"
They began doubling back, shout
ing, until they reached the end of the
trench system. Still Hartley could u
be found.
eff he amt on hand I'll be- broke
the sergeant grumbled. "And IN break ,
his head for him. You medical corps ;
chaps are like bunch of babies, Ought
to have a 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 then
sharply onward, but could not reSiss
casting occasional looks back to see il
the missing man was coming. How
ever, at last, he resigned himself to
what seemed inevitable. The trench
widened into deep, wide. paralleT sne
extending in zigzags to right and Iefz-
of them.
A large dugout, made sheIEpruof-
or as nearly as possible So. By
a roof of heavy beams, sanabasS.
and corrugated steel, bore the RED
Cross upon the door. Inside ga nunn
Der Of stretcher bearers were foungiRg.
The sergeant halted his, mem and
stepped into a smaller 6ugouts beside
1t. In a minute he came cut and Seek
oned to Mark to follow him.. Mark
entered, to find himself in the pres
enee of the captain commanding the.
stretcher bearers company, and-Kel-
herman. He saluted and stood to at-
tention, watching Kellerman's eyes;
wander over him appraisingly.
orderly, where's the man who sarse,
with you?" inquired the Captains
briskiy.