The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-11-08
CHAPTER xxiII-continued'
20

III
shouted TO the driver to STOP anu
I'm his nervousness he put On '"e
brakes. We nearly pitched out heau-
first But the applying of those brakes
saved our lives. The next lhsIah'
there was a binding flash and deal-
cnlng report. All that l remember Is
that was flying through the air. ana
wondering IL I would land In solt
suot Then the lights went out.
When came to, Atwell was pouring
water on my head out Of his Dottie'
On the other side of the road the cor
po:nl was sitting, rubbing q lump on
his forehead with his left hand, while
his right arm was bound up In Dloou'
soaked bandage. He was moaning
very loudly. l had an awful headache
and the skin on the left side OF my
face was full of gravel and the DioOu
was trickllng from my nose.
But that ambulance was turned over
IN the ditch and was perforated WIN
holes from fragments of the shell. one
of the front wheels was Slowly reVol'-
Ing, so could not have been out lot
long period.
The shells were still screaming over
head, but the battery had raised It's
lire and they were bursting In little
wood about half mile from us.
Atwell spoke up. Il wish that OIL
ccr hadn't wished US the best o luck
Then he commenced swearing
couldn't help laughing, though my
head was nigh to bursting.
Slowly rising to my feet felt myself
III over to make sure that there were
po broken bones. But outside of few
bruises and scratches l was all right.
The corporal was still moaning, but
more from shock than pain. a. shell
splinter had gone through the flesh oi
hr> right forearm. Atwell and !, from
our first-aid pouches, put tourniquet
on his arm to stop the bleeding ami
then gathered up our equipment.
We realized that we were In a dan,
.cerous spot. At any minute shell
might drop on the road and finish us
nfT The village we had left was not
very far, so we told the corporal he
had better 20 back to 1t and get his
arm dressed, and then report the TACT
of the destruction of the ambulance to
The military police. He was well able
TO walk, so he set of in the direction
~ the village, while Atwell and l con-
tInued our way on foot.
without further mlshap we arrived
NJ our destination, and reported to bri-
eade headquarters for rations and Dill
ats.
That night we slept in the battalion
,rrgeant majors dugOut. The next
morning l went to first-aid 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,
snarch German dead, reconnoiter In NO
Mans Land, and take part In trench
raids and prevent the rObbing OF the
dead.
had a pass which would allow me
IN 90 anywhere at any time in the Sec
tor of the line held by our division. II
gave me authority to stop and search
nmbulances, motor lorries, wagons and
even officers and soldiers, whenever
INV suspicious deemed 1t necessary.
Atwell and were allowed to work to-
Rether or slngly-it was left to our
Judgment. We decided to team up.
Atwell was a good companion and
very entertaining. He had an utter
contempt for danger, but was not fool
hardy. At swearing he was wonder.
A cavalry regiment would have been
proud Of him. Though born IN Eng
land. he had spent several years In
New York. He was about six feet one,
and as strong as an OK.
We took up our quarters in large
dugout Of the royal engineers, and
manned out our future actions. This
dueout was on the edge Of large
cemetery, and several times Mt night |
I'm returning to it, we got many fall
stumbling over the graves of English,
French and Germans. Atwell on these |
occasions never INDUCED in swearing, |
though at any other time, at the least !
stumble, ne WOuIu luLH INC uiA DluS'
A certain section Of our trenches
was held by the Royal Irish rifles. For
several days very strong rumor went
the rounds that German spy was in
our midst. This spy was supposed to
he dressed in the uniform of a British
staff officer. Several stories had been
Nold about an officer wearing a red
hand around his cap, who patrolled the
fPOnt-line and communication trenches
asking suspicious questions as to lOca-
Mon OF batteries. machlne-gun emplace-
nents, and trench mortars. II shell
arOppe,l In a battery. on a machine gun
or ever near = augOut this spy was
blNr'e