Show sf 1 what ho Hopes es 95 by sergeant arthur guy empey author of over the top first call etc 1 0 CI 0 0 mr empens expert ances during his seven teen months in the first line Trenches of the british army in france copyright n attix mcclure the battle of the tha somme was still raging I 1 had been hit by three rifle ride bullets one through the left cheek the lie other two through tile the left shoulder while engaged in it a trench mid for prisoners and was on my journey tu to mighty blighty I 1 remember being carried down a flight of steps and plated placed on a white table in a brightly lighted roon room n doctor and a 0 sergeant bending over roe me a delicious drink of ale then the whispered word chloroform something like a gas helmet being placed over in my noso nose and mouth month it couple of long indrawn gasping breaths a rumbling in my ears then the skyline ot of new york suddenly appeared this was quickly followed by the statue of liberty slinking blinking hands with the singer building a rushing hissing sound bound in my ears like escaping steam and then ali en blackness I 1 opened my eyes I 1 was lying on a stretcher covered with blankets in ift a low roofed wooden building across the way from mo me was a long row ot of stretcher ench each stretcher holding a wounded tommy same cime lying flat others propped up by folded blankets others were sitting on their stretchers tenderly caressing an arm bound up with white bandages occasionally a stretcher reclining on which was waa a muddy and bloody soldier would be carried down tho the lit sic liy by two stretcher bearers this stretcher bt would b bo 0 priced in an open space in the row 0 opposite I 1 could hear it a hum of conversation all about roe me and us as my brain cleared snatches of it became intelligible my right liand land seemed to be in a vise I 1 could not release it squirming in bed which sent a sharp shooting anin through my left shoulder I 1 tried with my lily eye to see what wis was holding my wrist A ilov idol 1 l army medical corps ronn man ans sitting on the floor at the hend head of my stretcher lier and had my wrist in ili ins his grasp gausp lie ile was about twenty years 5 cars old and looked dog tired his chin would wo uld gradually sink to ills his chest as if lie were fulling falling asleep then the n lie he would suddenly sturt start lift up his head with a jerk and stare around the room pretty soon his eyelids would slowly close I 1 gave my arm a tug and he fie quickly opened his byis then across ilia hla taco face unshed flashed a smile to vie me it appen appended red like the sun from behind a hill tit at daybreak Tha That tenille emile sent bent it warm glow clow through inc I 1 bc boileve that right then I 1 was in love with ills his boyish ince face tt tl m n lie opened his mouth and as Is usual in such cases spoiled it all strafe me pink but you do tyke your own bloomin bloom ln blino to come out 0 chloroform F ere re ive been bloody well weil balmy a oldan your bloom bloomin ln pulse out of the corner of my mouth I 1 asked him where nm am I 1 still smiling ng ho he hailed a stretcher bearer across the way 1 I sit awkins this blighter wants lit the matter am I 1 wounded a bloc inIn lapof of frow lo 10 c wants to know where a Is continued next issue |