The Lamar register., 1918-06-19

u good fellow to talk to. but appar-
emily he could not forget that / was
his enemy. However. that did not stop
one of the orderlles from eating the
apple.
One practice about the hospital i'm
pressed me particularly. That was,
II German soldier did not stand
much chance Of recovering sufficiently
to take his place again in the war. the
doctors did not exert themselves to see
that he got we'll. But II a man had
q fairly good chance of recovering and
they thought he might be OF some fur
ther use. everything that medical skill
could possibly do was done for him.
don't know whether this was done
lust followed their own inclinations
In such cases.
My teeth had been badly Jared up
from the shot. and hoped that l might
have chance to have them fixed
when / reached Courtrai. the prison
where was to be taken. So asked
the doctor II It would be possible for.
me to have this work done there, but
he very curtly told me that, although
there were several dentists at Cour-
trai. they were busy enough fixing the
teeth of their own men without both
ering about mine. He also added that
l would not have to worry about my
teeth; that I wouldn't be getting SO
much food that they would be put out
Of commission by working overtime.
wanted to tell him that from the way
things looked he would not be wear
Ing his out very soon either.
My condition improved during the
next two days. and on the fourth day
OF my captivity / was well enough to
write u brief message to my squad
ron. reporting that was a prisoner of
war and feeling fine" although. as a
matter Of fact. I was never so de-
pressed In my life. realized. how
ever, that II the message reached my
comrades 1t would be relayed to my
mother In Momence, H., and ! did not
want to worry her more than was alb
solutely necessary. II was enough for
her TO know that was u prisoner. She
did not have to know that I was
wounded.
l had hopes that my message would
be carried over the lines and dropped
by one of the German flying officers.
That Is u courtesy which Is usually
practiced on both sides. recalled
how patiently we had waited In our
airdrome for news of our men who had
failed TO return, and l could picture
my squadron speculating on my fate.
That is one Of the saddest things
connected with service In the X. F.. g.
You don't care much what happens to
you. but the constant casualties among
your friends are very depressing.
You go out with your flight" and
get Into a muss. You get scattered
and when your formation is broken up
you finally wing your way home alone.
Perhaps you are the first to land.
Soon another machine shows In the
sky, then another. and you patiently
wait for the rest to appear. Within an
hour, perhaps, all have shown up save
one. and you begin to speculate and
wonder what has happened to him.
Has he lost his way? Has he landed
at some other airdrome? Did the
Huns get him7
When darkness comes you realize
that. at any rate. he won't be back that
night. and you hope for telephone
call from him telling of his where
abOuts.
If the night passes without sign or
word from him. he is reported as miss
Ing and then you watch for his cas-
ualty to appear In the war Office lists.
One day, perhaps month later. u
message is dropped over the line by
the German flying corps with list Of
pilots captured or killed by the Huns
and then. for the first time, you know