The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-04-22
SIGHT Of HIS
FAvORITE HORSE
CHEERS CAPTAIN
Old Bill" Foxes Nose into
Window Where His Master
Lies.

VIII II j ne AMEnlCAN AIM I'm
FRANCE. April 5-Correspondence of
the Associated Press.-An American
captain Of artillery. lying wounded in
an American hospital at the rear Of
our sector. northwest Of Toul, called
his nurse to his bedside the other
day and said:
I'm feeling pretty good now. but
Id feel . whole lot better if only
could see old Bill. my horse"
The orderly spoke to the ward
physician. the surgeon in charge OF
the hospital telephoned to artillery
headquarters and soon afterward an
orderly came galloping up the road to
the hospital and dismounted.
Here's Captain Won Blanks horse"
he said. 1.-THE captain wants to see
him"
so orderly and horse were led
around to a window in a long, low
building. Three windows down they
stopped. The orderly looked in and
saw his captain lying on cot just in
side.
Woodworking, Captain" he said.
II have brought Bill around"
The wounded captains face broke
into smile.
Have him stick his head in" he or.
dered.
Blu, the horse had heard a voice he
knew and he put his head inside the
ward window without any urging
There was his master lying fiat on
his back, small bandage around his
head where just little piece Of rock
hit. And pinned to the pillow Of his
cot was little bronze cross suspend.
ed from green and red ribbon-the
Croix de Guerrc.
For half an hour the wounded Cap.
tain talked to the horse, calling him
"Old Boy" and "Old Man" and feebly
stroking the animals soft nose. The
horse apparently understood, for he
kept his nose as close as possible and
stood perfectly still He only moved
his head once or twice and then it
was to rub his nose against his mas
ter's palm.
The surgeon standing near by mo-
toned to the orderly after while and
the horses head was withdrawn from
the window. The orderly rode him
away-back toward the batteries. The
Captain watched the window for a
minute or two and then said to the
surgeon:
We'll. I feel better II Bill can
come round every day ought to be
moving about in week or So"
So Bill-he isn't one OF the kind OF
horses that the army calls an "artil.
lery plug he's a real American horse
and looks it--probably will be a regu.
lar hospital visitors for some days to
come.
For some months the Captain affec.
tionately had cared for his mount. Be.
fore the artillery unit to which the Of.
ficer belongs moved up to the line he
and the horse were together every day
and sometimes all night. They under.
stood each other perfectly.
Then came the move to the front
and for several weeks the officer did
not get many chances to ride, there
being work to do with batteries train
ed on the Germans. Then there was
an American raid on the enemy lines
with its barrage and enemy counter
thick Of It, and during the time wher
thick o fit, and during the time when
German shells were falling heaviest
around our guns he was obliged to &c
out into the open to give orders tc
some of his men.
A shell dropped near and exploded
anu n splinter IOTe lHtO Tue captain
chest Three days later he was In
an evacuation hospital within sound
OF his own guns and declared to be
in a dangerous condition. 1t was
feared by his friends that he would
die.
However, his strength and excellent
medical attention have pulled him
through until to-day, when, according
TO the surgeons, he is on the road te
recovery.