The Arvada enterprise., 1918-10-31

troops, In small groups-what was left
Of squads and platoons and singly.
Our captain had got it nth time.
meanwhile. but he would not leave us.
as he was the ranking officer. He had
a scalp wound, but the others were in
his arms and shoulders. He could not
move his hands at all.
But he led our charge when we ran
for the woods. We carried some ma
chine guns with US as we went, and
the gunners would run a piece, set up.
fire while we opened up for them, and
run on again. Some troops came out
OF trench still farther to the right
and helped US. and we drove the Ger
mans out Of the woods and occupied 1t
ourselves.
From there, we had the Germans in
our old trench almost directly from
the rear, and we simply cleaned them
out. think all the VOWS were kept
that day. or else the men who made
them died nrst.
was shot through the thigh some
time or other after the captain got
back. It felt Just like q needle-prick
at nrst, and then for q while my leg
was numb. A couple Of hours after we
took our trench back. started out for
the rear and hospital. The wound had
been hurting for some time. They car
RED the captain out Cd . stretcher
about the same time. but he died on
the way from loss Of blood. Fresh
troops came up to relieve %, but our
men refused to 20, and though omcial-
" they were not there In the trench.
they stayed until they took the cap
tain away. Then. back to billets-not
bullets, this time. believe that We re-
ceived an army citation for that piece
Of work. but DO not know. - I waa
In the hospital for short time aftsr.
ward. I do not remember much about
going to the hospital except that the
ambulance made an awful racket going
over the stone-paved streets Of Etaples,
and that the bearer who picked up one
end Of my stretchef, had eyes like dead
ilsh floating on water; also. that there
were some civvies standing around the
entrance ~ We were being carried In.
The hrst thing they do in the hos
pital II to take Oh your old dirty band
ages and aide your stretcher under Q
big electric magnet. A doctor comes
In and places his hand over your
wound, and they let down the magnet
over his hand and turn on the juice.
II the shell fragment or bullet in you
Ii more than seven centimeters deep,
you cannot feed the pain. The nrst
doctor reports to the chief how deep
your wound u, and where 1t 10 stu
ated. and then . nurse comes mp to
you, where you lie. with your clothes
still on. and aaks you to take the
pressure"
Then they lift you on four.wheeled
cart, and RON you to the operating the
ater. They take OF your clothes there.
I remember liked to look at the
nurses and surgeons: they looked 20
good In their clean white clothes.
Then they stick hollow needles Into
you, which hurt good deal. and you
take the pressure. After u while. they
begin cutting away the bruised and
maybe rotten flesh, removing the old
cloth. pieces Of dirt. and no forth. and
scraping away the splinters Of bone.
You think for sure you are going to
bleed to death. The blood PUSHES
through you like lightning, and II you
get sight Of yourself. you can feel
yourself turning pale. Then they hurry
you to your bed. and cover you over
with blankets nnd hot.water bottles.
They raise your bed on chairs. NO the
bloos will run up toward your hend.