The Ordway new era., 1918-08-23
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Of the man opposite. He had gone TO
rest across the Great Divide. / think
at the time envlcd him.
The man of the Royal Irish rifles
had had his left foot blown OFF. the
joitIng of the ambulance over the
rough road had loosened up the band
ages on HIS foot. and had started II
bleeding again. This blood ran down
the side of the stretcher and started
dripping. I was lying on my back. too
weak to move. and the dripping of this
blood got me In my unbandaged right
eye. l closed my eye and pretty soon
could not open the lid; the blood had
CONCEALED and closed 1t. as II 1t were
glued down.
An English girl dressed 10 Khaki was
driving the ambulance. while beside
her on the seat was corporal Of the
Il. A. NJ. c.. They kept up running
conversation about Blighty which al
most wrecked my nerves; pretty
soon from the stretcher above me. the
Irlshman became aware Of the fact
thht the bandnge from his foot had be-
come loose; 1t must have pained him
horribly, because he yelled In loud
voice:
'If you don't stop this bloody death
wagon and fix this D. bandage on
my foot, will get out and walk"
The girl on the seat turned around
and in n sympathetic voice asked,
Poor fellow. are you very badly
woundcd?"
The Irlshmnn, at this question, let
out a howl of Indignation and an
swered. "Am very badly wounded.
what bloody cheek; no. I'm not wound
ed. I've only been kicked by a canary
bird"
The ambulance Immediately stopped,
and the corporal came to the rear and
fixed him up, and also washed out my
right eye. | was too weak to thank
him. but II was great relief. Then
| must have become unconscious. be-
cause when regained my senses, the
ambulance was at stnndstill, and my
stretcher was being removed from it.
1t was night. lanterns were flashing
here and there. and could see stretch
er-bearers hurrylng to and fro. Then
l was carried into II hospital train.
The inside of this train looked like
heaven to me, just pure white, and we
met our first Red Cross nurses; we
thought they were angels. And they
were.
Nice little soft hunks and clean.
white sheets.
A Red Cross nurse sat beside me
during the whole ride which lasted
wrist; thought had made hit. and
tried to tell her how l got wounded.
but she would put her finger to her lips
and say, yes, know, but you mustn't
talk now, try to go to sleep. It'll do you
good, doctors orders" Later on l
learned that she was taking my pulse
every few minutes, as was very weak
from the loss of blood and they ex-
pccted me to snuff 1t. but didn't.
From the train we went into ambu-
lnnces for a short ride to the hospital
ship Panamn. Another palace and more
angels. don't remember the trip
across the channel.
l opened my eyes; was being car
ried on stretcher through lanes of
people. some cheering, some waving
flags, and others crying. The flags were
Union Jacks, l was In Southampton.
Blighty at last. My stretcher was
strewn with flowers. cigarettes, and
chocolates. Tears started to run down
my cheek from my good eye. l like n
BOBBY was crying. Can you beat it?-
Then into another hospital train, n
Gve-hour ride to Paignton. another am
bulance ride, and then was cnrried
into Munsey ward of the American
Womens War hospital and put into IL
real bed.
This real bed was too much for my
unstrung nerves and tainted.
When l came to, pretty Red Cross
nurse was bending over me. bathing
my forehead with cold water, then she
left and the ward orderly placed u
screen around my bed, and gave me n
much-needed bath and clean pajamas.
Then the screen was removed and a
bowl of steaming soup was given me.
1t tasted delicious.
Before finishing my soup the nurse
came back to ask me my name and
number. She put this information down
In II little book and then asked:
"Where do you come from?" an
swered:
From the big town behind the
Statue OF Liberty" upon hearing this
she started Jumping up and down.
clapping her hanGs, and calling out to
three nurses across the ward:
Come here. girls-dt last we have
got real live Yankee with u.s."
They came over and besieged me
with questions. until the doctor ar
rived. Upon learning that l was an
American he almost crushed my hand
In his grip of welcome. They also
were Americans. and were glad to see
me.
The doctor very tenderly removed
| my bandages and told me, after view.