New-York tribune., 1919-04-06
How It Feels TO Be Shot 4

Oh, The dead boys. knew it would be hor-
rible.
Keep moving The whine and the hiss
OF the bullets. There's another she'll What
are we supposed to be doing? Where are
we gong? This Is slaughter. Something
has splashed on me Never mnd-push on.
Move. Go on! Down Drop quickly. Dig.
Use bayonet-anything. Dig. Hurry | must
Try to be calm. Dig. Throw the dirt up in
iront-it gives protection. Dig faster Keep
down, but dig Your turn has not come.
Keep digging.
There goes that boy. He's dead A
second ago alive, now dead Bullets still
'hump him. He does not jump as they
'hump hlm hear lark singing Dig.
heep on digging. Oh, I'm hit---in the leg.
m MT IN the leg. What should I do about
IL I'm wet-warm wet on my leg 1t ought
10 hurl. Warm wet running down nv leg
10 something about it. Get up and run TO
a deeper hole. Hurry-blood is running. Nv
blood. 1t lies wet and red on the oree,
grass Blood on the grass. Get up. Hurry,
Hurry. My leg. it gives at the knee but
holds me. Hurry. There.
my, my. Sitting in hole wounded
alone. Cut the leg Of the trousers. The
N,'''e IS cold on my warm wet leg. The
blood IS beautiful in the sunshine Tho
wound! must examine it. Why. that's
n"s pad that's not bad. Just hole n sort
oi rip. lied. OF course; everything is red
around here. |. is not a bad wound Rand
age 1t up Quick. The blood again, Wra,
1t around and around--wrap it ticbt,v II
nurts. Never mind. Wrap II tightly. There
IS dlfhcult to move my leg. This is nice
l'st'e mole am in; quite comfortable. quite
"uoh better than out there in the omen
"e'o. hese ere bullets whining over.
aef~"ho they are getting. Not me,
here's an ant on that grass blade IN
there on the edge Of the hole. I do NOT tb;nl
mat ants care for blood Flies do. Flies
do. must drive them away. The blood
mas soaked through Let it soak II win
otlfcn cant keep them awav. Lot +ben,
cat Should | say drink? few are fin
'sned. Why 90 they remain so near to
c'can their feet and Wings Is it the sum
shine that makes their bodies oo, 60 n;n,,
as they settle on ;hc grass blades 70 clean
the SunSnlDo.
something else? Get out. Flv awav, Co
iced on dead boys. What swarm, What
sight. Ny leg is pounding. close to Tho
wound. Ny wound-al mine Drive away
those flies.
1T IS hot. My iog throbs, throbs. throbz.
Some one must bring water. | am thirsty.
KING the bell. Drive those hes ava. Please
BRING some water. Just little. Please
please please. On, I'm hot. Burn;nr,
My wound. What was that? Some one
calling? | must be calm Be calm. You
nave got TO be quiet, quiet All day be
quiet with the flies and the Blood. TIC
ahelS can scream--you must rot.
What time is it? How long am sun-
posed to stay here? How blue the s)y is,
There should be few snowwbitc clouds
floating in it. Then it would seem r,ore
rca'. There goes that bird again This
laH' much fun have had much better
timas tnan this-much better. There are
not so many shells now. l will look and
sec what is going on.
"A man digging Good work. He ;sn,t
dead. lll call to him so he will know an,
here He waved and LAUGHED. Look at
those helmetcd heads sticking IN out Of
their holes, Comrades, all Of them All
smiling and up TO see who laughed. Uhv
TINS isn't so bad after ali, Not at all bad,
Here comes some one. He stoops low
as ne runs Looking For me? Yes, here he
comes. a runNerJ Wha: does he want?
re looks anxious. don't blame him. Hone
nc sFt' GO nc hefora snip.e se;s hi,.. ,,e
hole VIII hold US hoth. How he pufrs, A
cnn'cen Of water! It's warm Oh. how good.
Some more good. Fine. Fine. I'm in
commend, am Good Lord I'm in COM
mnnd' I'm scared green. Happy Just the
aam3 harr. .. cau . 10 mnort,..s.
toe. send report back. LIE. me see. Yes.
O. course. that's the thing to do,
"'fei the Major cvorythins .. K. Gained
objective easily. Many wounded send re-