Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1919-01-21
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at the time envied him.
The man of the Royal Irish rifles
had had his left foot blown off, the |
jolting of the ambulance over the |
rough road had loosened up the band
ages on his foot, and had started Ii
bleeding again. This blood ran down
the side of the stretcher and started
dripping. I was lying on my back, too
weak TO move, and the dripping of this
blood got me in my unbandaged right
eye. l closed my eye and pretty soon
could not open the lid the blood had
CONCEALED and closed 1t, as If 1t were
glued down.
An English girl dressed In khaki was
driving the ambulance, while beside
her on the seat was corporal of the
r. A. M. c., They kept up a running
conversation about Blighty which al
most wrecked my nerves. pretty
soon from the stretcher above me, the
Irishman became aware of the fact
that the bandage from his foot had be-
come loose; it must have pained him
horribly, because he yelled in loud
voice:
IF you don't stop this bloody death
wagon and fix this d bandage on
my foot, 1 will get out and walk"
The girl on the seat turned around
and in a sympathetic voice asked,
Poor fellow, are you very badly
wounded?"
The Irishman, at this question, let
out howl of indignation and an
swered, Am l very badly wounded,
what bloody cheek no, I'm not wound
ed, I've only been kicked by canary
bird"
The ambulance Immediately stopped,
and the corporal came to the rear and
fixed him up, and also washed out my
right eye. l was too weak to thank
him, but it was a great relief. Then
l must have become unconscious, be-
cause when I regained my senses, the
ambulance was at a standstill, and my
stretcher was being removed from it.
1t was night, lanterns were flashing
here and there, and could see stretch
er-bearers hurrying to and fro. Then
l was carried into hospital train.
The inside Of this train looked like
heaven to me, just pure white, and we
met our first Red Cross nurses; we
thought they were angels. And they
were.
Nice little soft hunks and clean,
white sheets.
A Red Cross nurse sat beside me
during the whole ride which lasted
three hours. She was holding my
wrist; 1 thought had made hit, and
tried to tell her how 1 got wounded
: but she would put her finger to her lips
and say, Eyes, know. but you mustn't
talk now, try to go to sleep, it'll do you
good, DOCTORS orders" Later on
/ learned that she was taking my pulse
, every few minutes, as l was very weak
from the loss of blood and they ex-
/ pected me to snuff it. but 1 didn't.
From the train we went into ambu-
: lances for a short ride to the hospital
= ship Panama. Another palace and more
angels. 1 don't remember the trip
| across the channel.
2 l opened my eyes; was being car
ried on a stretcher through lanes OF
people, some cheering, some waving
! flags, and others crying. The flags were
., Union Jacks, l was in Southampton
/. Bnghty at last. My stretcher was
:, strewn with flowers, cigarettes, anc
/, chocolates. Tears started to run dowI
my cheek from my good eye. like 6
! BOBBY was crying. Can you beat it'll
@ Then into another hospital train, {
: ive-hour ride to PaigntOn, another am
e bulance ride. and then l was carried
| into Munsey ward of the American
a Womens War hospital and put into {
b real bed.
t This real bed was too much for m!
o unstrung nerves and tainted.
When l came to, a pretty Red eros,
= nurse was bending over me, bathing
$ my forehead with cold water, then sh,
d left and the ward orderly placed I
d screen around my bed, and gave me {
much-needed bath and clean pajamas
g Then the screen was removed and
n bowl Of steamlng soup was given me
" Itaasted delicious.
e Before finishing my soup the nurs
h came back to ask me my name ant
number. She put this information dow
n in little book and then asked:
n "Where do you come fromT l an
I swered:
1 From the big town behind the
r Statue of Liberty" upon hearing thi
she started jumping up and down
> clapping her hands, and calling out I
Il three nurses across the ward:
n "Come here, girls-at last we hav
got q real live Yankee with u.s."
h They came over and besieged IN
n with questions. until the doctor al
rived. Upon learning that l was a
e American he almost crushed my han
d in his grip Of welcome. They ais
were Americans, and were glad TO sc
Ie me.
10 The doctor very tenderly remove
my bandages and told me, after view