Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-08
The Return to BIighty.
BY CAPT. A. F. OZANNE.

THE pedagogue was standing at the
entrance to the section COM
mander's dugout, and the captain, who
had torn himself away from his be-
loved garden. was with him. A shoot
was in progress, but the airplane sem
tries had detected Hun plane hover
ing some ten thousand feet over the
battery position. and firing had ceased
for the time being.
1t came suddenly, as these things al
ways do: a distant boom, and then a
crash as the captain and the pedagogue
stepped back. The dugout was full Of
smoke, and when that cleared away
both Officers were discovered. lying on
the situation with much force and di-
rectness. The pedagogue got up, the
captain tried to, but could not, and the
sergeant shouted for the stretcher-
The group doctor happened to be pay
the stretcher-bearers arrived with their
burden.
humping over shell-torn road in a
motor ambulance Is not an ideal pastime
,'ta -. one Is suffering from a oommin-
tain found 1t rather trying experience
The pedagogue had torniquet round
mis- arm. and both officers found that
they were destined for the theater on
sne.T arrival at the casualty clearing
t stasaon; Iheir servants accompanied
such times as they should be evacuated
to the base. In the meantime they had
the luxury OF sleeping between sheets
IN an area where shells were few and
Iar petween. Some came over during
t IN nrst night, for to the Hun nothing
Is sacred, but after six months in the
salient one does not notice a few odd
rounds from q long range gun.
one fine morning the sister came
INTO tne ward with bundle Of labels
t IN ne r, hand sh These she tied on to oer-
base sir. said the sergeant to the
captain, whose coat was adorned with
down the middle. An hours drive
along the broad white roads Of
ton. where the hospital train was
waiting. and the tedious process OF
entrainins the patients began,
The captain found himself allotted
70 an upper berth near window,
r rhe pea Mitp was in a saloon car
Nurses and orderlies passed down
the gangway with food for patients.
and the Doctor went round reading
the inscriptions on the patients
labels to see who required attention
Of these. In ordinary circumstances
the probing and dressing Of q wound
Is not thing to be sought after.
but It's possibilities become formi-
dable when the operation is performed
u under t,. way H. However: it 90 turned
ana the wound was attended to with
the minimum amount Of discomfort,
At the base our two friends were
sent to q hospital which stood on a
high Cliff overlooking the English
channel. From their wards they could
see on q clear day the shores Of Eng
land. Here their wounds were again
decided that evacuation to England
was the best course to be pursued
under the circumstances So 1t came
to pass that two days after more
labels were produced, and this time
the ambulance took them alongeide
At the English port the captain
caused telegram to be sent to his
wife, and he and the pedagogue
presently found themselves. in the
same carriage en- route for London.
The The journey tourney was vas = triumphant prog
forms were lined with cheering
crowds, eager to pay their grateful
tribute to those who were suffering
for their sakes. In. due course the
Red Cross train pulled into the Lon
don terminus, and an officer came on
various hospitals. Two hours later,
when the captain and the pedagogue
had just finished dinner. the ward was
plunged into darkness and tho anti
aircraft guns Of London got busy. An
air raid! But what did that matter?
They were homo again.
Copyright, 1851