Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-08-02
CHAPTER xxlIl--continued.

~
shouted to the driver to stop, and
1, his nervousness he put on the
brakes. We nearly pitched out head
arst. But the applying of those brakes
sayed our lives. The next instant
there was a binding fash and a dear
<ning report. All that remember Is
that was flying through the air, ana
wondering II would land In sort
spot. Then the lights went out.
When | came TO- Atwell was pouring
water on my head out OF his bottle
On the other side OF the road the cor
poral was sitting, rubbing lump on
his forehead with his left hand, while
his right arm was bound up In blood
soaked bandage. He was moaning
very loudly. had an awful headache
and the skin on the left side OF my
face was full OF gravel and the blood
vas trickling from my nose.
Bnt that ambulance was turned over
In the ditch and was perforated with
hole, from fragments o. the shell, one
Of the front wheels vas slowly reyolv-
ing, 80 I could lot have been out for
a long period.
The shells we're Sill screaming over
Aead. tg: TIE battery had raised rs
Ore ana hey vsse bursting 10 little
wood s5or. nal, : mile from Us.
Atxea spoke ~. Il wish that OH.
Ger haGa; wished Us the best D luck. -
Then he commenced swearing. |
eouldn't help laughing. though my
head Was nigh TO bursting
Slowly rising 10 my fee, felt myself
ali over TO make sure that there we're
no broken bones. But outside Of few
bruises and scratches was all right.
The corporal was still moaning, but
more from shock than pain, A shell
splinter had gone through the flesh Of
his right forearm. Atwel and |. from
our first.ald pouches, put a tournlquet
90 his arm to stop the bleeding and
men gathered up our equipment.
We realized that we we're In dan
Eerous spot At any minute a shell
might drop an the road and finish US
uT. The village we had left was not
very FAR, so We told the corporal he
had better 90 back 10 II and get his
arm dressed. and then report the fact
R the destruction Of the ambulance to
the military police. He was well able
20 walk. so he SET or In the direction
Of the village, while Atwell and ! con-
.inued our way on foot.
without further mishap we arrived
ut our destination and reported to bri-
gude headquarters for rations and bill
let's
That night we slept In the battalion
sergeant majors dugout. The next
morning | went to a flrst-ad post and
had the gravel picked out Of my face.
The instructions we received from
division headquarters read that we
were out to catch spies, patrol trenches
search German dead, reconnoter In No
Mans Land, and take part In trench
raids and prevent the robbing Of the
dead.
had a pass which would allow me
10 20 anywhere at any time In the sec
TOR Of the line held by our division. Il
rave me authority to stop and search
as,bulances, motor lorries, wagons anC
even officers and soldiers, whenevel
my suspicious deemed 1t necessary
Afvell and we're allowed to work to
rsfher or slngly-It was left to ou
Judgment. We decided to team up.
Atwell was a good companion AM
yrry entertaining. He had an ute
cpnismpt for danger, but was not fool
hardy. At swearing he was wonder
A cavalry regiment would have bee
mead OF him. Though born In Ems
hand, he had spent several years i
New York. He was about six feet ont
and as strong as an OK.
We took up our quarters In larg
durout of the royal engineers, an
mapped out our future actions. Thi
sareut was on the edge Of larg
eemetery, and several times at nigh
N returning to II. we got many ia
stumbling over the graves Of Englisl
French and Germans. Atwe,l on thes
seeasions never INDUCED In swearin,
fAough at any other time, at the leai