Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-04-18
"0ver the Top
By An American Soldier
Who Went
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY
(OopSaksht, l9a7. By Arthur Guy nmpsy)
Machine Gunne, Se,oins tn France


(OopSasht lGa7. By Arthur Guy nmDsy)
The American Women's War hospi.
/ tai was heaven for wounded men.
They were allowed every privilege pos
sible conducive with the rules and mill
tary discipline. The only fault was
that the mems passes were restricted.
To get pass required an act Of par
lament. Tommy tried many tricks to
get out, but the commandant, an old
Boer war officer, was wise to them all,
and it took new and clever ruse to
make him afix his signature to the
coveted slip of paper.
AS soon as it would get dark many a
patient climbed over the wall-and went
ION his own" regardless Of many signs
staring him in the face. "Out Of bounds
for patients" Generally the nurses
were looking the other way when one
OF these night raids started. / nope
this information will get none of them
into trouble, but I cannot resist the
temptation to let the commandant
know that occasionally we put it over
on him.
One afternoon I received note,
through our underground channel. from
my female visitor, asking me to attend
a party at her house that night. I
answered that she could expect me and
to meet me at certain place on the
road we'll known by all patients, and
some visitors, as "over the wall" I
told her I would be on hand at seven
thirty. 49,.
About SEVENTEEN I sneaked my
overcoat and cap out Of the ward and
hid il; in the bushes. Then I told the
nursa,a part cular friend of mine, that
i was going for q walk In the rose gar
den. She winked and I knew that ev-
erything was all right on her end.
Going out Of the ward, slipped into
the bushes and made for the wall. 1t
was dark as pitch and was cropping
through the underbrush, when sudden-
" stepped into space and felt myself
rushing downward, a horrible bump.
and blackness. When came to my
wounded shoulder was hurting horri-
bly,. I was lying against circular
wall Of bricks. dripping with moisture,
and far away could hear the trickling
of water. l had In the darkness fallen
into an old disused well. But why
wasn't I wet? According to all rules
i should have been drowned. Perhaps
i was and didn't know 1t.
AS the shock of my sudden stop
gradually wore of it came to me that
j was lying on ledge and that the
least movement on my part would pre-
!cipitate me to the bottom Of the we'll.
!: struck match. In its faint glare
II saw that was lying in circular
hole about twelve feet deep-the iwell
had been filled in! The dripping had
heard came from water pipe over on
my right.
With my wounded shoulder 1t was
impossible to shiny up the pipe. I
icould not yell for help, because the
irescuer would want to know how the
accident happened, and would be
;haled before the commandant on
charges. l just had to grin and bear
vt, with the forlorn hope that one Of
THE returning night raiders would pass
land I could give him our usual signal
iof "siss-s-s-s," which would bring him
ito the rescue.
Every half-hour I could hear the
.clock in the village strike, each stroke
bringing forth q mufiled volley Of
icurses on the man who had dug the
well.
After two hours I heard two men
talking in low voices. recognized
Corporal Cook, an ardent might raid
ier." He heard my "siss-s-s-s'' and
came to the edge Of the hole. II e1-
iplained my predicament and amid a. lot
,of impertinent remarks, which at the
ltimeI did not resent, was soon fished
out.
Taking OF our boots, we sneaked into
the ward. I was sitting on my bed In
the dark, Just starting to undress,
when the man next to me, "Ginger"
Phillips, whispered, "'Op 1t, Yank, ERE
comes the matron."
| Immediately got under the covers
and feigned sleep. The matron stood
talking In low tones to the night nurse
and fell asleep.
When awoke in the morning the
might sister, an American, was bending
over me. An awful sight met my eyes.
The coverlet on the bed and the sheets
were a mass Of mud and green slime.
IShe was good sport all right, and
hustled to get clean clothes and sheets
so that no one would get wise, but ION
her own" she gave ME good tongue
flashing but did not report me. One Of
the Canadians in the ward described
her as being "a Jake Of a good feA-
low"
Next visiting day I had an awful
time explaining to my visitor why I
had not met her at the appointed time
and place.
And aor week every time ! PASSED
lyfE