diff options
Diffstat (limited to '58233-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 58233-0.txt | 8213 |
1 files changed, 8213 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/58233-0.txt b/58233-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6efb002 --- /dev/null +++ b/58233-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,8213 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 58233 *** + + + + + + + + + + + + +[Frontispiece: CAPTAIN R. J. MANION, M.C.] + + + + + A SURGEON + IN ARMS + + BY + + CAPTAIN R. J. MANION, M. C. + OF THE CANADIAN ARMY MEDICAL CORPS + + + + D. APPLETON AND COMPANY + NEW YORK LONDON + 1918 + + + + + COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY + D. APPLETON AND COMPANY + + + + Printed in the United States of America + + + + + TO + MY WIFE AND BOYS + + I AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATE + THIS LITTLE BOOK + + + + +FOREWORD + +The greater part of _A Surgeon in Arms_ was +written before the United States entered the war in +April, 1917. Therefore, the Americans are not +mentioned in many paragraphs in which the soldiers +of the other allies are spoken of. The Canadian +soldiers on the Western front have won undying fame +for their marvelous feats in many actions, from the +first battle of Ypres in April, 1915, to Vimy Ridge +in April, 1917. As soldiers they take a place second +to none. And, I believe, the American soldiers will, +in the lines, show the same courage, dash, and +initiative, and win the same fighting reputation and honors +as the Canadians; for do not Americans and Canadians +inherit the same blood, literature, history, and +traditions; do they not both live in the same wide +spaces, speak the same mother tongue, aspire to the +same ideals, and enjoy the same free institutions? + + + + + CONTENTS + + CHAPTER + + I. Life in the Trenches + II. Over the Top + III. Overland + IV. Kelly + V. The Language of the Line + VI. Just Looking About + VII. Gassed! + VIII. Relief + IX. Dugouts + X. The Sick Parade + XI. Caring for the Wounded + XII. Cheerfulness + XIII. Courage--Fear--Cowardice + XIV. Air Fighting + XV. Staff Officers + XVI. The Battle of Vimy Ridge + XVII. A Trip to Arras + XVIII. Ragoût à la Mode de Guerre (Trench Stew) + XIX. Leave + XX. Paris During the War + XXI. Paris in Wartime + XXII. In a Château Hospital + XXIII. On a Transport + XXIV. Decorations + XXV. On a Hill + + + + +A SURGEON IN ARMS + + + +CHAPTER I + +LIFE IN THE TRENCHES + +Life "out there" is so strange, so unique, +so full of hardship and danger, and yet +so intensely interesting that it seems like +another world. It is a different life from any +other that is to be found in our world today. +In it the most extraordinary occurrences take +place and are accepted as a matter of course. + +I am sitting in a dugout near Fresnoy. +Heavy shelling by the enemy is taking place +outside, making life in the pitch-dark trenches +rather precarious. A number of soldiers of +different battalions on this front are going to +and fro in the trenches outside. The shelling +gets a bit worse, so some of them crawl down +into the entrance of my dugout to take a few +minutes' rest in its semi-protection. They +cannot see each other in the blackness, but with +that spirit of camaraderie so common out there +two of the men sitting next each other begin to +chat. After exchanging the numbers of their +battalions, which happen to be both Canadian +and in the same brigade, one says,-- + +"But you're not a Johnny Canuck; you talk +like a Englishman." + +"That may be; I was born in England. But +I am a Canadian. I've been out there for +seventeen years," the other returned a little +proudly. + +"Hindeed! I was in Canada only three +years. W'ere'd you come from in old England?" + +"Faversham, Kent." + +"Faversham! Well, I'm blowed! That's +my 'ome! What the 'ell's yer name?" + +"Reggie Roberts." + +"W'y, blime me, I'm your brother +Bill!" Affectionate greeting followed, then +explanations: The elder brother had gone out to +Alberta seventeen years before while the younger +was still at school. Correspondence had +stopped, as it so often does with men. +Fourteen years later the other boy went out to +Ontario. When the war broke out, they both +enlisted, but in different regiments, and they +meet after seventeen years' separation in the +dark entrance to my dugout. + +On the front of our division, an order came +through telling us that information was reaching +the enemy that should not reach him. For +this reason all units were ordered to keep a +sharp lookout for spies since we feared that +some English-speaking Germans were visiting +our lines. + +In our battalion at that time was a very +good and careful officer, Lieutenant Weston. +Rather strangely, one of the men of his +platoon was a Corporal Easton. Shortly after +the above order had come forth, Lieutenant +Weston was sent out on a reconnoitering +expedition by night into No Man's Land. He +took as his companion, Corporal Easton. Over +the parapet they crept between flares, and +proceeded to crawl cautiously about among the +barbed wire entanglements, shellholes, and +ghosts of bygone sins and German enemies. +At each flare sent up by us or the enemy, +splitting the thick darkness like a flash of lightning, +they pushed their faces into the mud and lay +perfectly still, in order to avoid becoming the +target of a German sniper, or even possibly of +some over-nervous Tommy. If there is any +place in this war where Napoleon's dictum that +"a soldier travels on his stomach" is lived up to +in a literal and superlative degree, it is in No +Man's Land by night. + +Their reconnaissance had lasted some two +hours when they started to return to what they +thought was their own battalion front. But, +as sometimes happens, they had lost their +bearings. While they were correct as to the +direction toward the Canadian lines in general, +they were really crawling to the firing line of +one of the brigades to our right. Suddenly +Weston, who was leading, found his chest +pressing against the sharp point of a bayonet. +He heard a voice hissing: + +"Who goes there?" + +"Two Canadians," he whispered in reply. + +"All right; crawl in here, and no funny +tricks or we'll fill ye full o' lead." At the +point of the bayonet he and his corporal +crawled over the parapet. They found +themselves in the enlarged end of a sap that was +being used as a listening post. In the +darkness they could dimly see that they were +surrounded by soldiers with fixed bayonets. + +"What's yer name?" hissed the voice, for +out there no one is anxious to attract a hand +grenade from the enemy on the other side of +the line. + +"Lieutenant Weston." + +"An' yours?" to the corporal. + +"Corporal Easton." + +"Weston--Easton; that's too damn thin. +Now you fellows march ahead of us to +Headquarters, an' if ye so much as turn yer head +we'll put so many holes through ye, ye'll look +like a sieve. Quick march!" And they +plowed through the deep mud of the trenches +till they were well back, then they came out +and proceeded overland to H.Q.--headquarters. +Here, after a few sharp questions, a little +telephoning, and some hearty laughter, they +were given a runner to show them the shortest +route back to their own battalion. + +Trench warfare as it has been carried on +during this great war is different from the +warfare of the past. Here we had--and have +at the time of writing--on the western front +alone, a fighting line five hundred miles long, +with millions of the soldiers of the Allies +occupying trenches, dugouts, huts, tents, and +billets, on one side of the line, and the millions of +the enemy in the same position on the other. +For months at a time there is no move in either +direction. + +Trenches are merely long, irregular ditches, +usually, though not always, deep enough to +hide a man from the enemy. Occasionally +they are so shallow that the soldier must travel +on his stomach, during which time any part of +his anatomy which has too prominent a curve +may be exposed to the fire of the enemy. Of +course this all depends on the architectural +configuration of the traveler. Except trenches +far in the rear, they are always zigzag, being +no more than ten to twenty feet in a straight +line, to prevent any shell's doing too much +damage. The front trench is called the firing +line; the next one, fifty yards or so behind, but +running parallel, is a support trench; and other +support trenches exist back to about 1000 +yards. + +Communicating trenches run from front to +rear, crossing the support trenches. Here and +there a communicating trench runs right back +out of the danger zone, and these long trenches +are at times divided into "in" trenches, and +"out" trenches. Shorter communicating +trenches run from support to firing lines. +These different trenches give the ground, from +above, the appearance of an irregular checker +board. + +The front wall of the trench is called the +parapet, and the rear wall, the parados. Above +the trenches, on the intervening ground, is +overland. In the bottom of the trenches, when +the water has not washed them away, are +trench mats, or small, rough board walks. +Sometimes the mud or sand walls of the trench +are supported by revetments of wire or wood. + +No Man's Land is the area between the firing +lines of the opponents. It is a barren area +of shellholes, barbed wire, and desolation, and +may be from forty yards to 300 or more yards +wide. Commonly, on standing fronts its width +is about one hundred yards. Saps are trenches +extending out into No Man's Land, and used +for observation purposes or for listening posts. +They may end in craters, or large cavities in +the ground, made by the explosion of mines. + +Dugouts are cavities off from the trenches, +connecting with them by narrow passages. +The dugout proper is a cavity, small or large, +used for living in and for protection from shell +fire. They may be superficial, having only +two or three feet of sandbags--more properly, +bags of sand--for a roof; or they may have a +roof ten to forty feet in thickness. But the +term is often used carelessly for any kind of +shelter at the front. + +At dusk and dawn the men usually "stand +to," that is they stand, rifle in hand, in the +trenches ready to repel any attack of the +enemy. During the dark hours the men take +part in working parties, or fatigues, to bring +in water, clean the mud from the trenches, +carry rations or ammunition, and dig holes or +dumps in which munitions, flares, or equipment +are stored. Fatigues are rather disliked +by the men, for they are laborious and just as +dangerous as other work in the lines. + +In speaking to each other, and often in +official communications, abbreviations are much +employed among officers and men. For example: +O.C., or C.O., is used to signify the officer +commanding any unit, whether it be the +Lieutenant Colonel in charge of a battalion, or the +Major, Captain, or Lieutenant in command +of a company; the M.O., or the Doc., is +commonly the shortened form for the Medical +Officer; and H.Q. signifies headquarters, and +may apply to company, battalion, brigade, +divisional, corps, or army headquarters, any of +which would, generally speaking, be specified, +unless the conversation or communication +made it plain which was meant. + +After big advances there are varying periods +during which trench life is more or less +abandoned for open warfare. After an advance the +consolidation of the land taken consists of +again digging trenches and dugouts, preparing +machine-gun emplacements, bringing up the +artillery, and establishing communications. +During this transitory period the losses are +often heavy, because of the poor protection +afforded the men and the fact that the enemy is +well acquainted with the ground which he has +abandoned, willingly or unwillingly. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +OVER THE TOP + +When a man has gone over the top of a +front line trench in an attack on the +enemy, he has reached the stage in his career +as a soldier at which the title, "veteran," may +honorably be applied to him. + +For, to climb out of your burrow where you +have been living like an earthworm into God's +clear daylight in plain view of enemy snipers, +machine-gunners, and artillerymen, and, +under the same conditions, to start across No +Man's Land toward the Hun in his well-protected +and fortified trenches, is indeed to earn +that distinction. + +Many there are who have courted death in +this form, again and again, and "got away +with it." But it is a good deal like trying your +luck at Rouge et Noir in the Casino at Monte +Carlo. The odds are against you, and if you +keep at it long enough you are almost +mathematically certain to lose out in the end. + +The boys know this as well as you and I. In +spite of that knowledge, over the top they go +again and again, by day and by night, with a +smile on their lips, blood in their eyes, and joy +in their hearts at the thought of revenging +themselves upon the despicable Hun for his +breaking of all the laws of civilization, for his +utter disregard of the principle that "between +nation and nation, as between man and man, +lives the one great law of right." + +Attacks in which the men go over the top +are of various kinds and on different scales. +The commonest are simply raids in which a +small sector of enemy lines is the object. By +them we endeavor to obtain prisoners for +purposes of identification of the troops opposing +us, while at the same time we depress the +morale of the enemy. + +Then there are the immense attacks, called +pushes, in which we mean to push back the +enemy, take possession of his lines, consolidate +and hold them, killing, taking prisoners, +and putting hors de combat as +many as we can in the process. These pushes +are always on a greater scale and require +thorough organization and preparation to be +successful. If they should fail, our last +condition is worse than our first. We have not only +wasted all our immense preparations but we +have lowered the spirits of our own men, and +raised and encouraged the fighting spirit of the +enemy. + +The man who is sitting comfortably in his +library five or six thousand miles from the +scene of battle notes on the map on his wall +that it is only five inches from the firing line +of the Allies to the Rhine. He may decide +that it should be an easy matter to bring up +a few million troops, break through the +enemy lines, push a million men through the gap, +cut the communications of the opposing forces, +hurl the enemy back into the Rhine, and make +him sue for peace. + +On paper, and with the aid of a vivid +imagination, this may look easy. In reality the +preparations for a great advance are enormous. +For weeks before the push, even for months, +the staffs of battalion, brigade, division, corps, +and army are planning it. + +Dummy trenches are laid out from aerial +photographs, taken by aviators, and dummy +advances are practiced with all the details as in +real advances. Our information must be so +complete that we know even where certain +dugouts are in the enemy lines, and who +occupies them. This knowledge comes from +prisoners and deserters. Raids are put on to know +what troops are opposing us by the identification +of prisoners. Medical arrangements have +to be completed so as to handle the hundreds +or thousands of casualties that must occur. + +Immense guns must be brought up, and +millions of shells must be piled along the roads +and stored in dumps ready for use during +battle. Water arrangements have to be made to +supply pure water to the troops when they +cross into enemy territory, for the enemy may +have destroyed or poisoned the water supplies +as they retired. Extra food rations and +equipment must be supplied the men. Places of +confinement for the hoped-for prisoners must +be built. And, finally, thousands of extra +troops must be brought up and trained for +the attack. + +The above are only a few of the preparations +that must be made, for the details are +multitudinous. The most difficult thing is that +these preparations must be carried out so far +as possible without the enemy's knowledge. +For he also has his aeroplane scouts taking +photographs and looking about for information, +his observation balloons and his spies, his +raids and his prisoners. It is even possible +that we might have a deserter who betrayed +us to him, though one feels that this must be +exceedingly rare. + +If the armchair critic has read the above +he will perhaps realize a little more vividly +than he has done before how difficult advances +are and why it is more easy to talk of getting +the enemy on the run than to actually do it. +Once he has started to retreat and you to +advance, your difficulties multiply and go on +increasing in direct proportion to the distance +that you get from your base of supplies. Your +munitions, food and water must be transported +from the rear over strange roads pulverized +by shell fire, while your enemy is backing into +greater supplies hourly. + +One of the most difficult propositions is to +keep the different parts of your immense +organization in communication with battalion, +brigade, and divisional headquarters. Many +different methods are used. + +Perhaps the most reliable is by runner, or +courier, on foot. The runner has an arduous, +dangerous, and often thankless, task, which he +performs as a rule patiently, bravely and +tirelessly. The telephone, telegraph, and power +buzzer--the latter being sometimes used without +wires, at a distance as great as 4000 yards--are +commonly employed, though they have +many disadvantages. The first of these is the +difficulty in installing them in the face of heavy +shelling and counter attacks by the enemy. +Secondly, they are likely to be put out of +commission, their wires being destroyed by shells. +Finally, their messages are often picked up +through the earth by your opponents with +some apparatus invented for the purpose. + +There are the semaphore and flashlight methods +of signaling, and signaling by flares, all +naturally very limited in variety of use, the +latter particularly so. But flares are of great +service when a hurried artillery retaliation is +desired, S.O.S. flares then being sent up. +The wireless apparatus on aeroplanes and the +throwing of flares by aviators are also used +to good account. But there are times when all +these different methods are found wanting. +Through force of circumstance a battalion or +company may be completely isolated, and then +it is that the last and least employed method, +that of carrier pigeons, is resorted to. In each +battalion are a couple or more specially trained +carrier pigeons, and to speak of the "O.C. Pigeons" +is a standing joke. The pigeons are +rarely employed. It may be almost forgotten +that they are with a unit, as was practically +the case of one battalion at the Somme of which +the following story is told: + +The commanding officer had waited in vain +for hours for some message as to the success +or failure of a show one company was putting +on. He was impatiently striding up and down +when a poor little carrier pigeon fluttered into +his presence. He hurriedly caught it, and +untied from its leg the following message: +"I am bally well fed up carrying this damned +bird about. You take it for a while." + +After all this preparatory stage is completed, +when transport, artillery preparation, +communication, maps, training, dummy advances, +extra rations, water, medical supplies +and equipment, are in order, the next move +is to get all troops taking part in the +advance into the most advantageous positions, +unknown to the Germans. The men are well +fed, given extra water bottles, "iron rations" +are in their kits--that is, bully beef and +biscuit--they are equipped only in fighting dress. +By night they are marched into the trenches +from which they are to go over the top, and +after a few hours of rest, broken by shell fire, +the zero hour, or hour of attack, arrives. + +Just before the great advance in which the +Canadians took Vimy Ridge, that hill +consecrated by the graves of thousands of French, +British, and Canadian soldiers, our brigade +had made all these arrangements. We were to +march into the line on Easter Saturday and +go over the top the following morning at +daybreak. But at the last moment we were +delayed by a brigade order, due to information +obtained from a German deserter, information +that said that the Huns knew that we were to +attack on Easter Sunday. + +While sitting in my tent I was visited by +officers on various missions, some to get +dressings to carry in their pocket, dressings that +they neglected getting till the very last +moment; others to tell me that such and such a +man was afflicted with that grievous malady, +"cold feet," and if he should visit me on +pretension of illness, to bear this fact in mind; +and again others with no object but a pleasant word. + +Among those who always had a humorous +word and a smile, and whose honest +eyes always looked at one fearlessly through +his gold-rimmed spectacles, was Lieutenant +Henderson--"Old Pop," as the younger officers +always called him. After his usual courteous +and kindly greeting we joked about the +possibility, or rather the probability, of some +of us not coming back from the great +advance. No doubt he voiced the opinion of most +of us when he said with a hearty laugh-- + +"You know, Doc, the main objection I have +to death is that it is so d---- permanent." + +The following day "Old Pop" was no more. +His jolly laugh and his voice with its +pleasant burr were to be heard no longer in our +ranks. He had met death while bravely +leading his men across No Man's Land like the +gallant Scotch gentleman that he was. + +Something which struck me then, and which +still impresses me as extraordinary in looking +back at it, was the buoyant, cheerful, optimistic +spirit in which our army of citizen-soldiers +looked forward to the day when we were to +take part in one of the greatest battles in +history. We knew it was to be a fearful and +magnificent trial of strength out of which many +of us would never return to the people and +the lands we loved. And yet all awaited it +with a gay, hopeful, undaunted optimism, +asking naught but the opportunity, anticipating +nothing but victory. It is unbelievable that +the blind obedience of a militaristic kaiserism +can ever subdue a soldiery who so freely offer +their all on the altar of liberty. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +OVERLAND + +The normal position of man on the earth +is on its surface. + +Generally speaking, when he is under +the surface he is in his wine cellar, or he is +dead. But at the front all this is altered. +Both the enemy and ourselves have reverted +to the cave age, for if we wish safety +in the lines--comparative safety, that is--we +pass our time in caves or cellars, dugouts or +trenches. + +Not that living underground would be taken +as a matter of choice in the piping times of +peace. For the mud and dirt of the trenches +and dugouts cannot, by any stretch of the +imagination, be said to be comfortable or pleasant. + +The fact that your only chance against +a hidden enemy is also to hide makes your +desires subservient to necessity. In fact, both +the enemy and ourselves are continually +burrowing deeper and deeper in each other's +direction. At the end of the burrow or tunnel we +place charges of dynamite to blow each other +out into the open. The fear that your enemy +may succeed in doing it to you first, and that +some fine day you may awaken to find +yourself sailing about in the heavens with no +support but the explosion which sent you there, +makes many a man on a dark night hear +imaginary tappings, causing him to report that he +fears the enemy are mining underneath us. +More than once out of the pitch darkness has +come into my dugout some lonely sentry to +tell me that he has heard mysterious +hammering underfoot, and only when we had +located the real cause as something other than +he thought, did his--and perhaps +our--nervousness disappear. + +On one occasion a non-commissioned officer +came hurrying into the H.Q. dugout of a +certain Canadian battalion. With hair standing +on end he reported that an augur had actually +come through the bottom of the trench in +which he had been standing. The colonel +insisted on investigating this himself, and found +that a mole had bored his way through the +ground. + +These fears may have an unconscious effect +in making everyone wish to get out of the +semi-darkness of the trenches into the bright +sunlight which dispels clammy feelings and fears +as if they were mists of the morning. But the +real reason for traveling overland is that at all +ages and in every clime the forbidden or +dangerous has its attractions. Thus it is that +out there both officers and men, contrary to +orders and upon the flimsiest of pretexts, climb +out of the trenches and in more or less plain +view of enemy snipers or observation posts +walk again like ordinary human beings on the +face of the earth. + +This practice is very common where the +trenches are muddy, or knee or hip-deep in +water. It is the recognized custom after dark +when working parties are carrying up ammunition +or rations. Not rarely some of the men +of these parties are hit by bullets put across +from fixed machine-guns. It is a weird sight +on a dark night to go overland and, in the +dim light of the flares or star shells, to discern +long rows of men trudging along with packs +of supplies. They loom up suddenly before +you; or, perchance, a column of the ever-useful +packmules pass, patiently carrying their +burdens overland. And often by day one comes +across the body of a mule that was given rest +from its weary toil by a German bullet, at +which times one cannot but wonder if in a +happier land the patient, plodding, +much-abused packmule is given his just meed of +appreciation and kindness. + +When someone pays the price of his recklessness +in going overland, the price is most +often exacted by a bullet. What insidious +little things bullets are! They sneak in and hit +you without forewarning you in any way, and +they may hit so hard that you do not know +you are hit even then. Most men out there +have more respect for them than for shells, +for often you have time to "duck" against the +side of a trench and so partly dodge a heavy +shell. + +But you can't dodge a bullet. It gives +you a most uncanny feeling to be taking a +short cut overland, and suddenly to hear a +"ping-thud" just beside you, thus learning that +some German is trying to pot you as you +potted an innocent red deer on your last hunting +trip. Or you may be walking quietly through +apparently safe trenches, maybe dreaming of +your loved ones at home, when a bullet thuds +into the trench wall a few feet from your head, +insolently spattering mud into your face. Then +you know you are alive only by the grace of +God and the poor aim of the German. + +But, despite these risks, all take the chance +of going overland to lessen a quarter-mile trip +by one hundred yards, or to miss a particularly +muddy bit of trench. Any day you choose +when you are five or six hundred yards from +the front line you may see scattered parties +of men crossing in the open. + +The regimental aid post of the ---- Canadian +Battalion in October, 1916, when they were +doing their tour in the lines, could be reached +in two ways--one by trench, a roundabout +route of over a mile; the other one-half mile by +trench and one-quarter overland. The former +route was never employed, except on regular +relief days, officers and men passing daily the +one-quarter mile overland, only about six +hundred yards from the enemy front line. The +field ambulance stretcher bearers made the +trip twice daily, and one day when I was +crossing over with their sergeant I asked him why +the German snipers did not hit us. + +"Oh, 'Heiny' is too busy keeping himself +out of sight to notice us," was the careless +reply. But at times those crossing this space +heard a bullet whistling nearby, or ping-thudding +into the ground close to their feet! + +After a raid by our troops one early +winter's morning when I had been attending the +wounded for some time I came up to take a +breath of air. A trench led from this cellar +of mine some two thousand yards to a village +of reasonable safety, but the road cut off two +or three hundred yards of that distance. This +road was in plain sight of the Germans, yet +some of our wounded Tommies, walking cases, +were leading a crowd of five or six wounded +Huns by the road, the party altogether +numbering ten or twelve. As we watched them, +suddenly, within a few yards of them, burst +two shells. All the men broke into a double +and jumped into a trench beside the road while +a few more shells fell about. It is an ironical +truth that the only members of the party hit +were three of the Germans. + +On a certain relief day when food was +scarce a medical officer started for a +Y.M.C.A. canteen in Neuville St. Vaast for some +chocolate, taking a short cut overland, as he +could save one hundred yards by this route. +Meeting a soldier he stopped to inquire as to +direction, and this saved the life of the officer, +for a shell struck the ground a few feet ahead +on the spot where he would have been had he +not stopped. As he and the Tommy hugged +a tree nearby two more shells struck the same +spot, sprinkling them with earth. They turned +and ran in the direction from which the doctor +had come, amidst the roars of laughter of +some soldiers in a trench at the sight of the +rather corpulent form of the medical officer +on the double; so little is thought out there +of narrow escapes! And when the officer made +the same trip in the dusk of evening he found +that the canteen had run out of chocolate! + +In what had once been a little village, but +was now a mass of ruins, the trenches ran +through the streets. Our mess was situated in +the cellar of a house to which we could get +either in a roundabout way by trench, or by +crossing a road overland. No one ever dreamed +of going any other route than the overland, +despite the fact that the road was in plain view +of the Germans who had fixed on it a machine-gun +with which they now and then swept it +from end to end. I admit frankly that I never +crossed that road without a sigh of relief when +I reached the other side. + +It was on a Christmas day. I started out to +make an inspection of my lines with my +sanitary sergeant and a runner who knew the best +routes. Arriving at a support trench, and +wishing to go to the firing line, the guide +started over the parapet. On being asked the +purpose he said that it was a much shorter way, +but, to my relief, the sergeant told him to +go by trench, for often one would rather go +through a dangerous zone than appear afraid +of it in the presence of his men. + +However, we made the examination of the +lines. After we had finished the firing line and +were returning, we found ourselves crossing +overland by the route over which he had +attempted to take us to the front. He had led +us up a gradually ascending communication +trench, and so unknown to us had reached this +overland trail. Nothing happened, nothing +was said about it, but I certainly felt +relieved when I was once again in a trench +without having a German bullet sneaking between +my ribs. How little Tommy cares about +risking his life if it lessens his task! + +In passing, it may be mentioned that on this +Christmas day none of that fraternizing took +place which had taken place the previous +Christmas. In fact, early on the Christmas +morning the battalion on our left, after a +severe bombardment, put on a raid, and Christmas +night the enemy retaliated with heavy stuff +of all kinds. Probably this is as it should be, +for while it may look well in print to read of +our troops and the Germans exchanging +cigarettes and eatables in No Man's Land, it is +detrimental to discipline, and injurious to the best +fighting spirit. It would be much more repugnant +to the Anglo-Saxon at any rate to kill men +with whom he had just passed a pleasant +social half hour. This may appear heartless, +but war is a heartless game, and fraternizing +may very well be left until after the peace +articles are signed. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +KELLY + +Kelly is my batman or personal servant. + +His name tells his nationality. His +philosophy, especially as regards the war, is +usually interesting and always instructive. +Yesterday he accompanied me to headquarters +out in front of the railway line at Vimy. We +had to cross a few hundred yards in the open, +where the Huns had an annoying habit of +dropping shells at irregular moments. + +Suddenly we heard the horrible shriek of an +approaching whizz-bang. It passed over our +heads and banged into the earth twenty feet +or so beyond us. Knowing that others would +probably follow it, and that they might have +twenty feet less of a range, we jumped into a +four-foot-deep shell hole which happily was +beside us. We hugged affectionately the +German side of the hole to take advantage of +whatever protection it afforded. One after another, +in rapid succession, three more of these shells +shrieked toward us. Fortunately our +unuttered prayer that they would not come to +see us in our hole was answered, for they +followed the first and struck twenty or twenty-five +feet past us, just close enough to sprinkle +us well with mud. While we waited a few +more minutes to see if any more were coming, +I turned over and faced Kelly. + +"Don't you think, Kelly," I asked seriously, +"that lying in a shellhole like this is rather an +undignified position for two proud Anglo-Saxons?" + +"No doubt it is, sor, but it's a good dale +safer than stayin' where we wor. An' if there's +one sound, Cap'n, that I've larned to rispict +more than another in this war, it's the shriek +of an oncomin' shell, whin it sames to be comin' +in yer direction. Now, duds (shells that fail +to explode) is different. D'ye remember, sor, +the day we come in to relave the 28th Battalion +here, as the colonel, the adjutant, and yersilf +were comin' over the crest of the ridge, an' +I bringin' up the rear with that luggage of +yours?" He looked at me reproachfully, for, +though looking after my luggage was part of +his duties, he never pretended to like it. "A +dud landed just besoide us. The sound of a +dud thuddin' into the earth nearboy one is +swater to me than ever was the gurglin' of a +brook on a June day down the banks of the +Lakes of Killarney." + +Kelly's advice is often worth taking, for he +has been out there well into his second year, +and, while he has not yet been wounded, no +one ever accused him of lack of courage. He +occasionally does things with a slight, almost +imperceptible, grimace of pained surprise. But +he always does them--when ordered. In my +early days I was prone at times to take a peep +over the front line parapet at the always +interesting No Man's Land. + +"Oi wouldn't do too much of that if Oi was +you, docthor," he said respectfully, though at +the time I thought there was also a trace of +pity in his brogue, "fer out here it's not +considered healthy. Me poor ould father, Lord +have mercy on him, always tould me to curb +me curiosity. An' a padre who had been here +a long toime tould me whin first Oi come that +his one bit of advoice to me was, don't be +curious." I always encouraged him to carry on +with his philosophizing, except when the dull +look in his eye and his exaggerated stand-at-attention +told me that he had somehow obtained +my rum ration as well as his own. "Oi +notice, sor, that thim that are here longest +peep the laist; that's why they are here longest." + +"Do you dodge when you hear a shell coming, Kelly?" + +"It's always woise to duck, sor, fer with very +big shells, which come slower, ye may be quick +enough to get aginst the soide of the trinch +and have the pieces miss ye; an', whin it's a +whizz-bang er bullet, if ye're able to duck ye +know ye're not hit!" + +Just at dusk of a warm spring evening as +we crossed an open field, we had the +misfortune to find ourselves bracketed by German +gas shells. That is, some of the shells were +falling just short of us, and others were +passing a little over us. We recognized that they +were gas shells by the whirring noise they +make going through the air and by the soft +thudding sound of their explosion. But, had +we had any doubt, that sweetish, though well +hated, pineapple odor of the gas was reaching +our nostrils. The previous evening we had had +for some hours a heavy gas shelling about our +aid post, during much of which we were either +strangling from the gas fumes, which made +some of the men dreadfully ill, or we were +smothering to death with our gas masks on, +doing dressings for wounded men. So, taking +all this into consideration, we had no desire +for a repetition of the dose. + +The shells were thudding into the earth +about seventy or eighty yards on either side +of us, and our dangers were two: a straight +hit by one of the shells, the result of which +would be mutilation or death; or the bursting +of one at our feet, as the inhalation by us of +such concentrated fumes might mean a little +wooden cross above us. + +Behind the lines the gas masks or respirators +are worn flung over the shoulder. In the +lines the rule is to wear them in the "alert" +position, that is, on the front of the chest with +the flap open, ready for instant use. We had +them in this position and were carrying the +apparatus in our hands, so as to be able to +insert the tube into the mouth rapidly if need be. +Had we adjusted them at once we should have +found it difficult to avoid falling into the +numerous shellholes, for seeing through the +goggles on a dusky evening is most unsatisfactory. +My companion's practiced eye noted that the +shells, while bracketing us, were falling much +more thickly on our right than on our left. +After he had drawn my attention to this we +turned quickly to the left, and we had the good +fortune soon to be well away from the +explosions--it need hardly be remarked, to our +intense relief. + +"That was a happy observation of yours, +Kelly," I remarked when we were out of danger, +and were literally breathing easily again. + +"Dunno but what it was, sor. Course a man +shouldn't need a wall to fall on him to know +that somethin's comin' his way." I could +almost see his sly squint in my direction. He +dearly loved to display his hard-earned knowledge, +and, as he was too valuable a man to +get angry with except for good reason, his +remarks were generally accepted good naturedly. + +Kelly is a strict disciplinarian, at least so +far as others are concerned. While he takes +liberties in passing his own opinions to me, he +resents any other private doing likewise. In +his presence one day at a sick parade a soldier +who had been marked by me, M & D--medicine +and duty, that is, given medicine but fit for +duty--muttered something to the effect that +one never gets a fair deal from a military +doctor anyway. Before I could reprimand him +Kelly hustled him out of the room, saying +angrily: + +"Begobs, ye may have been exposed to +discipline, but it niver took." In his insistence on +everyone else's carrying out all the laws of +military discipline, while breaking most of +them himself, he is the equal of almost any +officer. + +On a delightful spring day after the Battle +of Arras, our battalion was holding the front +line out beyond Thelus. My aid post was on a +sunken road near Willerval, one of the many +sunken roads which are talked about by anyone +who has ever been at the front. The wounded +had to be brought to us by stretcher bearers +at night, as the whole front here was a huge +salient with the Huns pumping lead forget-me-nots +from three sides by day on the least +exposure of our men. + +So our work was all night work, and I lay +lazily on a stretcher in an abandoned German +gunpit, taking a sun bath. There originally +had been a roof over this gunpit. It was made +up of one-inch boards laid carelessly across +steel supports, and in the remains of this roof +two little swallows were gaily chirping, love-making, +and nest-building for their family-to-be, +ignoring entirely man's inhumanity to man. +Kelly was sitting on his haunches, his gray +head held on one side, thoughtfully watching +these happy little birds. + +"Well, Kelly," I demanded, "of what are +you dreaming?" + +"I was jest thinkin', docthor," he answered, +without turning his head, "what a puny sinse +of humor man has in comparison with thim +swallows yonder." + +"Have swallows a sense of humor, Kelly?" + +"Have they a sinse of humor? Whoy, they're +laughin' at ye this very minute"; I turned my +head a trifle sharply in his direction; "an' at +me, an' the rist of humanity. Listen to thim +laugh. An' whoy shouldn't they laugh, whin +they think what a gay world they live in, with +room fer all of thim an' all of us; an' yet +whoile they live, an' love, an' have their young, +an' doie in peace, we min, wid the brains of +gods, so we say, spind our toime invintin' new +manes of killin' aich other? An' fer whoy? +For a few acres of bog land, fer the privilege +of christianizin' an' chatin' the haithin by givin' +him some glass beads in exchange fer his iv'ry, +an' his indy rubber, an' his spoices. Take a +look yander at that skoylark. Wouldn't he +do yer heart good?" + +And he pointed to where one of those +joy-giving birds was soaring "higher still and +higher," and lavishly pouring out upon an +ungrateful world his flood of harmony divine. + +"What about liberty as opposed to this +cursed German militarism?" + +"Oh, yis, Oi'll admit there's a bit o' truth +in that, but at bottom it's mostly commerce +that causes war. Yis, Oi shouldn't loike to have +the Prushin military heel on moy neck. God +knows the Englishman in his toime has left +a heel mark or two on the Oirishman's neck, +but at that Oi'd rather have him, especially of +late years, than that cursed Hun, fer he wears +nails in his boots. An' Oi've hated the +Englishman all me loife----" + +"What the devil did you come out here for +anyway, Kelly?" + +"Ye're the first person that's ever hinted t'me +that there's anythin' proivate about this f oight. +Ain't the Russhin, an' the Prushin, an' the +Frinch, an' the Eyetalian, an' aven the Turk +in this foight? Is there any just raisin whoy +an Oirishman shouldn't butt in, too?" he asked +in an injured tone. "But ye've intherrupted +me strain of thought." + +"Beg pardon." + +"Don't mintion it. Oi was goin' to say that, +though Oi've hated the Englishman all me loife, +Oi'd be afeard to live in his counthry, fer Oi'd +get to love him. He's got such a dape sinse +of humor. Whoy he praises ye Canadians till +he actially makes ye belaive ye're winnin' the +war, wid yer two or three hundred thousand +min, whoile he's got a couple of million in the +field." + +"Who took Vimy Ridge, Kelly?" + +"We did, sor, we Canadians, wid fifty to +sixty percint of British born loike mesilf. An' +a damn foine bit o' fightin' it was, too. Sure, +truly, sor, Oi wouldn't belittle it fer anythin'. +But Vimy Ridge is on'y a couple o' miles long, +an' British troops are defindin' somethin' loike +a hundred and fifty moiles, an' most o' that +is held boy English troops, wid a scatthering +of the hated Oirish and Scotch. Look at the +casialty lists over a period an' ye'll foind who +it is that's doyin' fer liberty. It's mostly the +English and the Frinch as fer as Oi kin see. +The Canadians have done nobly, sor, no one +could denoy it, but they mustn't think they're +winnin' the war all boy thimselves. + +"The las' toime Oi was in Lon'on, the +funniest comedy Oi seen was a couple of young +Canadian officers on a bus tellin' an edicated +Englishman how the Empire should be run. +An' the Englishman listened without aven +crackin' a smoile, whoile they criticoized +Lon'on fer not havin' a straight street, an' fer +havin' old-fashioned busses; an' Lide George +fer his lack of firmness wid Oireland; an' so +on, an' so on. An' the Englishman listened +as if they were the woise min o' the aist, bowin' +his assint to all their talk; an' at last he said, +wid a long face: + +"'There's no doubt you young gintlemen +are roight. If we had a few more min loike +the Hon, Mr. Hughes of Australia an' Sir +Sam Hughes of Canada, we'd be in better +shape now. Oi'm very happy to have met yez'. + +"An' he shook their hands an' left, whoile +they swallied what he said, bait, hook, loine, +an' all. So Oi slips up to thim, an' salutin', Oi +says: + +"'Beggin' yer pardon, sors,' says Oi, 'but Oi +happin to know who that man was. It was +Lord Rothchoild, the great international +banker.' It may have bin the Imperor of Choina, +fer all Oi know. But they swallied that, too, +an' ignorin' me, one says, 'An' he shook hands +wid us!' an' on their faces was a bland smoile +of choild-loike satisfaction. + +"Oh, ye Canadians are great snobs, so ye +are. Whoy Oi've heard yersilf laud to the +skoies the noble part taken in the war be the +blue-bloods of England. Sure ye're just as +big a snob as any of the others. Er--Oi--Oi +beg per pardon, sor, Oi'm sorry fer sayin' it." + +"How about _thinking_ it?" + +"The on'y thing Oi kin call me own since Oi +jined the army are me thoughts. But Oi +wouldn't think it aginst yer wishes fer the +world, sor," and he smiled slyly. "Oi agree +that the blue-bloods have fought well, but no +better than the rist of us. An' they have +somethin' to foight fer, whoile Oi'd like to ask ye +what has a poor divil loike me to foight fer? +Who'd support moy childer if Oi was kilt?" + +"Your children! I didn't know you were +married." + +"Who said Oi was married?" + +"Oh!" + +"All classes out here foight well. Oi agree +wid that writer who said that all min are aloike +except fer their close. Now, except fer our +close, Oi don't suppose anyone would be able +to tell which was the cap'n, an' which his servant"; +with another sly grin. + +"Probably not, except for the whiskey you +drink." + +"Oi may drink a slightly greater amount +than ye, sor, but Oi notice we drink the same +brand." + +"Yes, I've noticed that, too, Kelly. That's +why there's never any to offer any of my +friends when they call." + +"Oi assure ye, docthor, there's none of it +wasted." + +"Probably not, from your standpoint. Now, +Kelly, I'd like some tea. And see if you can +put a little less candle, currants, and sand in +it than you did this morning." + +"If ye'd lave the last half inch in the +bottom of yer cup, sor, ye'd never know there +was any thin' but tea in it"; and he left to +prepare as good a cup of tea as one could desire, +except for these extras which a paternal +quartermaster always inserts into the various +articles of diet. Of course, the fact that the tea +and sugar come in sandbags, and the candles +are put into the sugar to prevent breaking +them, adds to this complication. + +Kelly is a good cook, and no mean philosopher. +He continually emphasizes the importance +of what he calls, "a sinse of humor." One +night when he had taken too much of what +he called at various times, "the crather," +"humor producer," "potheen," or "honey dew," I +heard him say to a companion: + +"As me frind, Lord Norfolk, says, there +remain these three, faith, hope, and charity, +and the greatest of these is a sinse of humor." + +A day came when Kelly, going for water +with two old gasoline cans slung over his +shoulder, was struck by a shell. He was some seven +hundred yards from my aid post at the time. +Fortunately some stretcher bearers nearby +went to his aid. Though the shortest way out +was rearward, and well he knew it, he +insisted on being carried back "to explain his +absince to the docthor." I saw them bringing +him in, and ran to him for, in spite of any +faults, his never-failing loyalty and his +good-humored and faithful service had endeared him +to me. He had been covered by a coat of a +stretcher bearer, so I could not see at once +what his injuries were. + +"Where have you been hit, Kelly?" I demanded +anxiously, for his face was pale. + +"Do ye mane, sor, anatomically, or +jayographically?" and a wan smile lit up the pallid +face, as his quick-witted humor got the better +of his suffering. But I had taken the coat +away, and I saw that the wound was fatal. +Keeping my head low so that he could not see +the expression on my face, or the tears in +my eyes, I gently dressed the wound. He bore +the handling without flinching. As I finished +he said bravely: + +"Well, docthor, they've done fer me this +toime. Oh, ye naydent throy to hoide it from +me; Oi know; an' Oi'd not care to have on'y +half of me hoppin' about, anyway." + +"Oh, we'll pull you through, Kelly, old man. +You promised to be my chauffeur after the +war; but I know you never did like working +for me and now you're trying to dodge," and +I tried to smile, but he saw the tears running +down my cheeks. + +"None o' yer jokes, now, docthor. Oi know +it's all over wid me. And, raly, it don't +matther, fer there's no one that cares," and, as I +looked at him reproachfully, "except you, sor. +An' God knows whoy ye do, fer I've been but +an impident servant to ye. But, docthor," +looking at me imploringly, "ye forgive me now, +don't ye, fer it was on'y taisin' Oi was?" + +"Dear old Kelly," I said, as I pressed his +cold hand, "what have I to forgive? You're +the best friend I have in all France." A lump +in my throat prevented me from saying more. +His hand returned the pressure, but there was +no strength in it. Then to cheer me up, he +said: + +"Ye know, cap'n, Oi always did respict the +cross, in the abshtract, of course, since Oi knelt +at the knees of me poor ould mother, rest her +soul; but Oi niver had any great desire to look +up at one of thim little wooden crosses through +six fate of earth," and the paling face lit up +with its whimsical smile. "What's worryin' me +though, is who'll look after yersilf. Ye're such +a crank about how yer bacon's cooked, an' the +sand in the tay, an'----" but just at that +moment the padre came in from a neighboring +battalion headquarters. + +He had made me promise that if ever +anything should happen to the wayward Kelly +who should have been, but wasn't, a regular +attendant at his church parades, I should send +at once for him. I had done so as soon as I +saw that poor Kelly was hard hit. I laid +Kelly's hand gently down and slipped away. +I was called hurriedly back a few minutes later +by the padre. + +"He wants you, doctor," he said briefly. + +Kelly's eyes met mine. His were getting +dim. As I took his hand, his fingers feebly +gripped mine. I bent my head to catch the +whispered words that issued from his lips: + +"Good-by, docthor; Oi'm lavin' fer the +great beyant. There's no use grumblin' an' +Oi don't, fer Oi've had a full loife--me frinds +often said too full, but sure they didn't know," +with the faint smile. "But since that day whin +ye showed me the picture ye carry over yer +heart of yer three foine little byes--God bliss +thim--Oi've wanted, whin the war was over, to +go back wid ye and see thim. Will ye do me a +favor, docthor, boy?" + +His voice was growing feeble. The tears +were flowing unheeded down my cheeks. I +could not speak, so I squeezed his hand in +assent. "Will ye talk to thim sometimes of +Kelly? An' tell thim that wid all me faults Oi +loved their daddy an' troied to sarve him well; +an' that if Oi was sure me death would cause ye +to be taken safely back to thim, Oi'd doie +happy an' contint. God bless ye an' thim +an'----" His voice died away, his dim eyes +closed, and his soul passed into "that undiscovered +bourne from which no traveler returns." + +That night the padre and I buried him in +a shellhole, erecting over his grave a little +wooden cross on which we wrote: + + PRIVATE JAMES KELLY + + NUMBER A59000, + --st CANADIAN BATTALION. + A LOYAL, GENEROUS, FAITHFUL, + SOLDIER AND FRIEND + + + + +CHAPTER V + +THE LANGUAGE OF THE LINE + +Talleyrand once wittily said that +language was given us to hide our +thoughts, and this saying might be enlarged by +adding that slang was given us to hide our +language. The Frenchman, in making this +witticism, was referring not only to the beautiful +language of Corneille and Molière, but to +speech in general. However, if he visited the +lines of the Canadian or British troops today, +even though his knowledge of English were +perfect, he would hear many words and expressions +not found in the dictionaries of any country +or heard in polite society. + +Necessity is the mother of invention. It +seems that in all national or international +games, such as the sport of our American +allies--baseball--or the sport of kings and +emperors--war--necessity demands that a special +language shall evolve. And so, around each +and in the midst of each, an expressive, though +sometimes inelegant, slang has grown up, +understood and employed only by the initiated. +In the case of the present war this slang is +made up of a mixture of English, French, +pantomime, and American or Canadian. + +Some people give North America credit for +a language of its own. On a visit to Paris some +years ago I was passing the entrance of a +theater on the Boulevard des Capucines when +a grisette approached me with a "bon soir, +cheri"; and proceeded to ask if I were lonely. +Not desiring to be bothered, I replied shortly +that I did not speak French. + +"Oh, zat ees tres bien, monsieur," she +replied coyly, "I spik zee A-mer-ee-can." + +And many of our own brothers of the +motherland do not admit that we Canadians speak +the same language as they, but an accented +modification of it, though they admire the +pointedness of many of our expressions. I +well remember the amusement caused in an +English officers' mess by one of them telling +the others that he had heard a Canadian say +that he liked "the Englishman's accent." And +with that charmingly bantering way that +Englishmen have, he said with a smile to a couple +of us Canadians present: + +"Rawtha a jolly bit of side! Cawnt you see +it, you priceless old things?" And at his +request we all filled our glasses again; while one +of the Canadians, for the sake of argument, +expressed the opinion that the term accent might +as truly be applied to the Englishman's +"rawtha," as to our rather; or to the English +"bawth," as to our harder-sounding and not +so euphonious, but probably equally correct +pronunciation of the word, bath. Of course, +he was met by good-natured smiles of tolerance +and pity, and the reply that since we +think their pronunciation shows more euphony, +why do we not pronounce as they do? + +"Because if we did someone at home would +probably hand us an over-ripe egg," was the +answer. + +The slang of the lines resembles a new system +of Esperanto, since it takes in, in a cosmopolitan +manner, all the languages of the neighborhood, +as well as some whose existence may +be doubted. For example, "no bon" means +no good, and is a mixture of English, French, +and a disgusted look. + +"Na poo" (which is probably a mutilated +form of the French "il n'y en a plus,"--there +is no more) has a most versatile meaning, and +is used in many different senses. Sometimes +it signifies that some article of the rations is +finished, as "the rum is na poo"--a not +uncommon state of affairs. At other times it is +used as we employ the slang phrase, "nothing +doing." + +For instance, one man asks another +to have a drink, and he, having put himself, +or having been put, on the Indian list, replies, +"na poo for mine." Then there is the sense in +which it is used meaning "killed." Bill Jones +is killed, and somebody says, "Well, they na +poo'd Bill Jones last night. Poor Bill, he +wasn't such a bad old ---- ---- ---- after all." (In +the air service, when a man is killed, they +often employ the expression that "so-and-so is +gone east.") The above will illustrate, but by +no means exhaust, the versatility of "na poo," +for in variety of meaning it is almost in a class +by itself. + +"Compree" is another sample of broken--one +could not say Anglicized--French, and it +is employed with the signification, "do you +understand?" or, in slang-Canadian, "do you +get me, Steve?" And here it may be remarked +that a Tommy possessing the above three +expressions, na poo, no bon, and compree, with +some additions from the sign language, +although he knows no other word of French, is +able to do anything with the French peasant +from using his cook-stove to heat a tin of +pork and beans to making love to his daughter. +Of course the latter effort is no doubt +helped by the fact that love is much the same +in all languages. + +Then all the different shells and types of +trench-mortar ammunition have their +nicknames, such as pineapples, rum jars, flying +pigs, Jack Johnsons, fish tails, and whizz-bangs, +all according to their shape, their sound, +or the fuss they make when landing. + +"To put on a show," is to make an attack +on the enemy. "To get pipped" means to get +wounded. If the wound is severe enough to +cause the recipient to be sent to England, it +is called a "Blighty," in which case, if the +wound is not dangerous to life or limb, the +others stand about looking enviously at the +wounded man, and telling him he is a lucky +devil. But if the wound is fatal, they say "he +got his R.I.P." + +The above will serve to illustrate the more +common slang phrases used by the soldier and +officer alike, for what Tommy does today his +officers do tomorrow. There are, of course, +many other slang expressions, some being more +vulgar than expressive. Occasionally a group +of men will impress you with the idea that +they are so accustomed to slang and swearing +that to call each other "a blank liar" is a +password, as Kelly expressed it to me one +time. And in passing it may be said that +though words which would be fighting words in +western Canada are common enough, fighting +among the men is exceedingly uncommon. +Good nature and good fellowship are universal, +and it is rare indeed that even the hottest +argument leads to blows. Probably the boys +have instinctively decided that blows are for +your enemies, not for your friends, and that +fighting enough is to be had on the other side +of No Man's Land. + +But slang, swearing, or general "toughness" +is no proof that a man is not an excellent +soldier. Out there we have found that cool +courage and self-sacrifice are as common +among the denizens of the slum or the +employees of the workshop or factory as among +those who spend their time following the +hounds or adorning drawing-rooms. Education +and culture may develop the virtues, but +they do not create them. By the same token +poor or unhealthy surroundings may stultify +the same virtues, but do not kill them. + +I well recall a rough, uneducated, +Irish-Canadian boy from Griffintown, who was in +charge of a group of machine-gunners, and +who was afraid of nothing on the earth, under +the earth or over the earth. Fagan--that +name will do as well as another--went up with +his company to go over the top in an attack, +but at the last moment they were ordered not +to advance. A company of Oxford and Bucks +just to Fagan's right were going over, and he, +being disappointed at the cancellation of his +order, pretended that he had not received it, +joined the British with his section and went +into the fight with them. He was such a +bonnie fighter, and was so useful to the British +that they were loud in their praises of the work +of him and his men; for with his machine-gun +he did much useful slaughter which he +described on his return as "some beautiful pickin's." + +On account of his good work and the high +praise that it received from the British he was +given a special leave of a couple of weeks +to the white lights--or what remains of +them--in London. As he left his little group of +the men of his unit, all of whom loved him +and all of whom his generous, brave heart held +as brothers, instead of the usual "Good-by, +boys, and good luck," he turned to them with +a broad grin on his face and said: + +"To hell wid yez all! May yez have to go +over the top every damn noight whoile Oi'm +away;" and with a wave of the hand, and +amidst the laughter of his "byes," he started +for the railhead. + +But slangy sayings and swearing are not +limited in use to the boys. A Major Garwell +was somewhat noted for this habit, and +sometimes spat out remarks quite thoughtlessly in +company in which it were better he had not +done so. On one occasion he had to interview +a staid, dignified Major General Osborne of +an English Corps to our left, and, differing in +opinion with the latter, to the horror of the +other officers present, he exclaimed vehemently +without even knowing that he said it: + +"But, damn your eyes, Osborne, that trench +should run the other way." + +To everyone's surprise the Major General +only stared at him, seeing no doubt that it was +a slip of the tongue, and not intentional +disrespect. He also probably took into account +the fact that the Major was a Canadian, from +whom Englishmen hardly ever know what to +expect in the line of discipline. + +But a week later the English General +showed that beneath a serious and dignified +exterior he had a well-developed sense of humor. +He was again discussing some engineering +problem with our gallant Major before much +the same group of officers, and turning +suddenly he blurted out: + +"But, damn your eyes, Garwell, I want this +done my way." The General himself and even +Garwell joined in the roar of laughter which +followed. And now you have the reason that +from that day to this the Canadian Major is +always spoken of as "damn-your-eyes-Garwell." + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +JUST LOOKING ABOUT + +At the front you never need to go beyond +the day on which you write to find things +of interest to tell those who have not known +the life, who are so unfortunate as to have to +remain hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of +miles from the center of interest in the +greatest game the world has ever known--the game +of war--being played at this moment by all +the highly cultured, civilized, and refined +peoples of the world! + +It is a bright spring day in May, 1917, +for so-called Sunny France is trying to redeem +herself after an abominable winter. I am +sitting on a tin biscuit box at the entrance of my +R.A.P.--regimental aid post--just on the +outskirts of a ruined village. Had I taken +this position one month ago my stay in the +land of the living would have lasted +something under ten minutes, for then the German +front line was about three hundred yards away. +But since that time the Battle of Vimy Ridge +has come and gone, and the Germans are +pushed back well beyond the ridge. So it is +comparatively safe to sit here, for the only +danger is from a stray shell, as it happens at the +moment the Huns are too busy defending +themselves from a heavy assault from the +Canadians on our right to send any shells this way. + +This morning a number of villages opposite +our right front are to be taken, and as +I sit looking about our guns are firing so +continuously that they make what the boys call +drumfire, that is, a continuous roll such as +kettledrums make. Our artillery is so immense +in numbers of guns that drumfire is common by +day. By night the sky on the horizon is lit up +in all directions by the repeated flashes of the +guns, giving the appearance of an immense +fireworks exhibition. + +All about me are the signs of war. I am +looking toward a mass of ruins which occupy +the site of what was once a well-built and +prosperous little city. All that now remains of it +is a stone wall here and there, and everywhere +piles of stone and brick and mortar. Not one +roof remains. There on the left, that high pile +of demolished walls, is all that exists of a once +elaborate church. Amidst the ruins the cellars +are occupied as habitations for the troops. If +you wander among them you will see some +strange names given to their quarters by the +wags of the companies--such names as The +Devil's Inn, Home Sweet Home, The Savoy, +The Sister Susie Hotel, and other such devices. + +But there is one object amongst the ruins +that strikes my eye. It is two hundred yards +from where I am seated. It appears plainly +to be the shattered trunk of a tree, two feet +in diameter and twenty feet in height. It is +the largest in the vicinity of those that remain +to wave their withered and emaciated arms in +mocking derision at our so-called civilization. + +Let us walk across to it together. Until we +are almost touching it we recognize nothing +but a shattered tree-trunk. On closer inspection +we find that what appeared to be the bark +is only a good paper imitation of bark, and +its irregular upper end has been made by hand, +not, as we had supposed, by the impact of a +shell. Behind the tree, at its root, is a +passageway down which we go to find ourselves +actually entering the trunk through a small +door. Looking up we see a perfectly made +steel cylinder, up which steps lead to the top. +Here a seat is placed and an observer may +look through a small slit in the steel casing and +through a split in the imitation bark, getting +a good view of things far in advance. + +This is the explanation of this strange +affair: A large tree which stood upon this spot +had been shattered by a shell, the shattering +having taken place when the Germans held +Vimy Ridge. This shattered tree was only +four hundred yards from the enemy front line. +Months before the Battle of Vimy Ridge some +quick-minded engineer noticed this tree, and +the idea occurred that it could be utilized to +good advantage. The steel frame was made +and covered in exact imitation of the tree +trunk, all other arrangements made, and one +night the tree was removed and this counterfeit +of it was put up. When day broke an +observer was sitting comfortably in this strange +observation post looking out upon the enemy +trenches, watching the movements of the +Germans, at the same time being safe from any +danger except the straight hit of a shell. + +Now let us return to our biscuit box and +see what else there is of interest. All about +are sitting boys with red crosses on their +sleeves. They are stretcher bearers for a field +ambulance. Here and there is a gun position +from which a bang and a flash come spasmodically, +as the guns throw their lead and steel +souvenirs at the Germans. To our right as we +face the enemy lines is a much used road, up +which we can see motor lorries by the score +pouring forward their loads of ammunition. +Then there are packmules, motor cyclists, +ambulances and--a strange sight--cavalry are +going forward. + +Is the war changing from the old trench +warfare of the past three years into open warfare +of the past century? Ah! There is still +another sight, and a pleasant one. It is a group +of German prisoners going to the rear, +guarded by a couple of Tommies. Word comes back +that the attack which began some hours ago, +and at which the guns are still mumbling and +rumbling in anger, has been a success; the +objectives have been reached and many prisoners +taken, though the Huns are making a stiff +stand of it. + +Overhead aeroplanes are humming to and +fro, looking far in advance of our troops, +seeing the effects of our gunfire, signaling +instructions to our artillery, watching the +movements of the enemy, and generally acting as +the eyes of the army. + +In front of us, and to the left, is a +crater--an immense hollow in the ground, caused by +the explosion by the enemy or ourselves at +some earlier stage of the war, of a huge load of +dynamite, ammonal or some other high +explosive. This crater is situated in what was No +Man's Land before April 9 and the great push, +at which time it was used as a killing place for +our enemies. Now it is a burial place for our +friends. The French Government has notified +us that if, in burying our dead, we will put the +bodies in groups of fifty in each burial plot, +they will buy the hallowed ground, keep it in +repair, and present it to the British people. +And the corps burying party has utilized +Lichfield Crater for this purpose, has gathered +together fifty or sixty of our gallant dead, and +deposited their sacred remains in this spot, +erecting over the grave a large wooden cross +with the names of the dead upon it. In +limestone they have laid out the following +epitaph: + + To THE BRAVE CANADIANS OF THE SECOND + DIVISION WHO GAVE UP THEIR LIVES ON + APRIL 9,1917. + R. I. P. + + +What hallowed shrines these cemeteries of +fifty will become after the war, when those +whose loved ones paid their full measure of +devotion in the cause of freedom are able to +come to visit the deservedly honored graves of +their husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, and +sweethearts. I visited this little cemetery this +morning. As I left it some Tommies passed +with a large, red paper balloon sent across by +the Germans with the message, "Canadians, +we are ready to quit if you are." + +But the Canadians, the British, the Americans, +or the French, are not yet ready to quit! +Nor will they be till the day comes when +Prussian militarism is curbed so thoroughly that +your boys and mine will not have to give up +their lives in conquering it ten years from now! + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +GASSED! + +About a month after the Canadians had +taken Vimy Ridge we relieved the ---- +Canadian Battalion in the town of Vimy, where +our battalion was in support to another +battalion holding the front lines some distance in +advance. Our Regimental Aid Post on our +previous stay in this town had been in the +cellar of a brewery near the railway station. +Since we had left the shelling in the neighborhood +had become so severe that this cellar had +been abandoned. It had caught fire and all +the woodwork had burned up. Out of curiosity +I visited this old cellar on our arrival at +Vimy and found it still hot as hades from the +heating up of the brick and cement. It was +absolutely uninhabitable. So we were forced +to search for other quarters. + +The officers of No. ---- Canadian Field +Ambulance, with that camaraderie so prevalent +out there, invited us to share with them +a couple of old cellars to which they had gone +on deserting the brewery. We accepted gladly. +One of their two cellars they used as sleeping +and eating quarters, the other as a dressing +station where they were kept exceedingly +busy attending the wounded. The Germans +had the range of Vimy to a nicety, and with +true German love of destruction they poured +five hundred to a thousand shells into the ruins +daily. Whenever the Germans are driven from +a village, their practice is to ruin it by high +explosive shells sent from their new line of +defense. And these two cellars were about the +center of the Vimy target. + +The previous day two officers of the field +ambulance were standing a few feet apart in +a little room off from the cellar used as +sleeping quarters. A table stood between them, on +which were two lighted candles. Suddenly +through the floor above came a four-inch shell, +just missing the table, and sinking into the +floor. Fortunately for the two officers it did +not explode--it was a dud. The rush of air +caused by the shell extinguished one of the +candles. The other remained lighted. It may +be understood easily that the officers felt a +bit unnerved. After staring at the hole in +the floor for some moments, Captain M---- +picked up the lighted candle in one hand and +the extinguished one in the other and endeavored +to light one from the other. His hands +shook so that he could not make the candles +meet. After a number of vain attempts to +bring them together he gave it up. His +nervous system was so shaken that he was sent +to the rest station on two weeks' leave. + +We arrived shortly after the shell had gone +through the cellar. Captain M---- himself told +us of it, and his humorous description of his +attempts to get the candles within six inches of +each other was ludicrous in the extreme. + +After an appetizing supper eaten in the cellar +with the officers of the field ambulance, we +medical officers took turns attending to the +many wounded who were arriving. All went +well till eleven o'clock that night, when we +heard the whirr of gas shells coming in our +direction. As they burst close to us, we soon +smelt their penetrating, pineapple odor. The +Huns continued to pour them in large numbers +in our direction, and, as the town of Vimy is +in a hollow at the foot of Vimy Ridge, the +atmosphere soon became laden with the poison +gas which, being heavier than air, sinks to the +bottom of any hollows. The air in our cellars +became saturated with the filthy, death-dealing +gases in spite of the wet blanket which we hung +over the entrance to prevent their entering. +Had we been able to stay in the cellar and +keep the blanket tightly placed over the +entrance, our misery would have been much less, +but wounded were coming in from all directions +and we had to keep going in and out, in +turns, to the cellar in which we did our +dressings. The gas kept thickening every minute. + +To add to the discomfort these gas shells +contained two gases. One entered the lungs, +causing congestion of their tissues followed by +inflammation, suffocation, and death if a +sufficient amount were inhaled; the other, +lachrymatory gas--called tear shell gas by the +soldiers--which not only inflames temporarily the +conjunctiva of the eyes, but is cursedly irritating +while it lasts. + +Naturally we quickly adjusted our gas +masks. But, as it was fifty feet from one +cellar to the other, and we dared not flash lights +to pass over the stone and mortar of the fallen +walls, we found it necessary to remove our +masks for moving, as well as for the purpose +of tying up the wounds in an acceptable +manner. Thus, by midnight, our eyes were as red +as uncooked beefsteak and they felt as if they +had been sandpapered. Our lungs on each +respiration felt as though they were gripped +in a closing vise. The gas masks act by +filtering the inhaled air through a chemical, which +neutralizes the poisonous materials in the gases. +When we removed them we had severe attacks +of coughing which were relieved only by +breathing through the mouthpiece of the masks. + +Hours dragged slowly by. Still the whirr +of approaching shells and the soft thud of their +bursting continued. Misery? Never +elsewhere had we experienced anything akin to +it--the inflamed eyes; the suffocation in our +lungs; the knowledge that inhalation of +sufficient of the gas would put us into Kingdom +Come. We knew that we could easily get out +of this poisonous atmosphere by climbing to +the top of Vimy Ridge, only a few hundred +yards behind us. But we did not, for that would +be deserting our posts. + +All these things combined to make it the +most miserable, soul-torturing night we had +ever experienced. And, to add to it all, our +artillery was in a hollow nearby where the gas +was so thick that it prevented our gunners +from retaliating, making it all take, and no +give. We all learned that night what it felt +like to long to desert. We learned that there +are times when a man who is brave enough to +be a coward deserves sympathy. But, thank +God! there are few such men in our armies. +The brave man and the coward, both, at times, +experience the same sensation of fear, the +coward allowing the emotion to conquer him, while +the brave man grits his teeth and carries on. + +For nearly five hours we endured this +misery, wondering when we would have +inhaled enough of the poison to put our names +among the casualties. One of the strange +things that struck me during that long night +was that I heard no word of censure or +condemnation of the Germans who were the cause +of our suffering. We cursed war in general; +we cursed Vimy and all that pertained to it; +we cursed the inactivity of our artillery; and +we cursed the gases; but the misery was taken +as one of the fortunes of war, and no one +wasted his breath in vain attempts to beat the +Germans with his mouth--as Lord Roberts +expressed it at the beginning of the conflict. +Often when I am five thousand miles away +from the firing line, sitting, perhaps, in a +smoking-car, and listening to the abuse of our +enemy, I think of this circumstance. + +After nearly three hours of the wretched +gassing, I had been lying for some little time +in the upper of two bunks, wearing my mask, +feeling very much smothered, and wondering +if it were pleasanter to die quickly from the gas +or slowly from the mask. For the masks give +a most uncomfortable feeling of impending +suffocation. Finally, I decided that I +preferred the gas to the mask. I pulled it off, +swore softly to myself, and muttered that I +chose a quick death in preference to a slow one. + +"Same here, doc," said a jolly voice from +below me. "I took off my bally mask some +time ago, and have been lying here wondering +how long you were going to endure it." + +Looking down I saw the smiling face of +Captain S----, a chaplain, who had been there +the previous day, burying some of our brave +boys who had paid the greatest price that man +can pay. He was a most courageous chap, +always good-humored under any circumstances, +and the gas had not lessened his courage. We +joked for a few moments, then we tried, +without success, to argue courage into a little +cockney for whom this was a cruel initiation into +the firing line, and whose "wind was up," as +the boys express it when a man's nerve is about +all gone. I don't know what happened to the +little cockney in the end, but my last memory +of him was that he was still arguing that this +was no place for a white man, with which +sentiment we all agreed. Shortly we were glad +to reapply our masks, as the air became almost +thick enough to cut with a knife, and that vise +on our chests kept tightening. + +Though the night seemed a thousand years +long, it finally came to an end just as our +nerves were at breaking point. The gas masks +had been on our faces for the better part of five +hours. What sighs of relief we gave as those +abominable shells ceased to come over, and in +their place we heard the crump of high +explosive shells! Dame Nature completed the +blessing by pouring down a drizzling rain which +dissolved the gases and cleared the air, the +rain then lying in opalescent pools in the +shell-holes. + +How glorious God's fresh air seemed to us +after that atrocious experience! With what +pleasure we laid aside our masks, though they +had without doubt saved our lives! How +exquisite to feel that the grains of sand between +our eyelids and eyeballs seemed to be +absorbing! And what a satisfaction to know that, +despite the agony of it all, we had done our +bit like men; for the greatest gifts that God +can give are those necessary for the playing +of a man's part! + +Day was breaking when two runners came +from the officer commanding B Company, to +tell me that he wanted me to come over to the +railway embankment, where his dugout was, to +see a number of his men who were suffering +severely from the gas. To come for me these +boys had to cross a field for three hundred +yards where the enemy were dropping Jack +Johnsons--immense high explosive shells. The +boys had nearly been caught by one of them, +and they thought it unwise to recross the +ground just then, as the shells were still +falling. I leaned against the ruins of this old +stone building, and watched the shells +exploding for some minutes. + +Gas attacks have a most depressing and +demoralizing effect on everyone. I have never +made a trip with as little pleasure as that I felt +at the thought of this one before me. A medical +officer can, but very rarely does, refuse to +go to cases. He may insist on having them +brought to him, as there is only one medical +officer to a battalion, and his death may make +it awkward for his unit till he is replaced by +another surgeon from the nearest field ambulance. + +However, though there was no let-up to the +shelling, there was no alternative but to go. +So I called the runners and my corporal and +we started over. Whether it was due to the +depressing effects of the gassing that we had +gone through I know not, but at any rate this +was the only occasion during my service at +the front on which I had a real presentiment +that death was going to meet me. Distinctly +do I remember expressing to myself the +following inelegant sentence: + +"I believe this is the last damn walk that I +am ever going to take!" + +But, fortunately, presentiments seldom +materialize. Our trip across that field was +without even a narrow escape. The shells obligingly +burst not closer to us than two or three +hundred yards, and we reached B Company +headquarters in safety. There a number of men +were in rather a bad condition--as a matter +of fact, one was dying--from the effects of +a shell which had struck directly into their +dugout. It killed one man by impact and gave the +others such a concentrated dose of the gas as +to put them into a dangerous condition. + +As a result of this gas attack many of our +men had to go to the hospital, and those of us +who escaped that were depressed for several +days. Gassing weakens the morale of troops. +Men do not fear to stand up and face an +enemy whom they have a chance of overcoming, +but they do hate dying like so many rats in a +trap, when death is due to a gas against which +they cannot contend except by keeping out +pure air and breathing through masks a +mixture of carbon dioxide, poison gas, and air. + +Fighting with gas is cowardly and is against +the rules of civilized warfare. Only a race +which cares for naught but success, no +matter how attained, would employ it. True, we +now retaliate in kind, but we should never have +considered this method of warfare as worthy +of civilized man, except in self-defense. If +you are fighting a wild beast of the jungle, +jungle methods are in order. I, for one, +believe that retaliation is the only method to +combat an enemy who has shown himself ready +to use any means to attain his end. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +RELIEF + +When one battalion goes out of the line +it is relieved by another, and no section +or company of a battalion may go from its +point of duty until a corresponding section or +company has relieved it. Reliefs, except on +very quiet parts of the line, are usually carried +out by night to keep the enemy from being +aware that they are going on. A severe shelling +during a relief is always more likely to cause +many casualties than at other times. Battalion +H.Q. goes out last. As each company or +section is relieved it notifies H.Q., and when all +are relieved, H.Q. takes its departure, having +handed over all necessary documents and +information to the incoming battalion. + +Because the human nervous system can +stand only a certain amount of abuse battalions +can be kept in the line only a certain +length of time, which depends upon the +activity upon that front, upon the exposure of the +lines to the enemy, and so the extra nervous +strain, or sometimes upon the urgency of +advance or retreat. A relief may be very +welcome, or very unwelcome, depending upon the +same things, but also to a certain extent upon +the quality of the dugouts in the lines, and the +kind of accommodation outside. For, strange +to say, the dugouts in the lines may be +preferable, even with their added danger, because, +on arriving at your rest station, your battalion +may find, instead of the good billets they hoped +for, a few forlorn-looking one-inch board huts, +with only one-half the required accommodation, +the temperature below freezing, and no +stoves; or you may find only tents; or you +may find virgin forest in which you are to +build your own camp, while the rain comes +down with monotonous persistence. + +It is midnight in the late winter, and the +adjutant, Major P----, and I are just leaving +H.Q. dugout on our way to reserve billets. +The trenches are very dark, the light from the +stars overhead not reaching to their depths. +We throw down a glare from a flashlight, and +a Tommy's voice angrily cries: + +"'Ave a 'eart there, myte; d'ye think ye're +the only man in the army? Douse the glim." So +we douse it, and decide that the best way +to keep peace in the army is to pick our way +along. Gradually our eyes become accustomed +to the dark, and instinctively our feet keep on +the trench mats as we twist and turn along +the trenches. An occasional flare or star shell +from the front lines aids us for a moment, but +plunges us into deeper darkness afterwards. +Our feet slip on the semi-frozen mud of the +mats, over our heads in both directions shells +sing at intervals, and we hear the pounding +of the guns and bursting shells before and +behind us. In the quieter moments we can +hear a quarter of a mile away the rattle of +transport wagons on the hard road as they +bring their nightly loads of ammunition and +food to the dump where we are going and +where we expect to find our horses. + +We arrive at the dump, and here one might +think he was in the midst of a large city +market just before the dawn. Limbers, general +service wagons, pack mules and men make a +jumble of hurrying, scurrying workers. No +lights dare be shown for fear of drawing the +shells of the Germans, who have the range of +this dump and have been shelling it during the +day. Someone tells us our horses are just +around a bend in the road, and we make our +way there, and find the grooms holding the +animals, which have become cold and restive +with waiting. + +Mounting, we start on a five mile ride along +a hard stone road, dodging and picking our +way among transport wagons and foot soldiers +all along it. The road is bordered with trees +which look like phantoms in the sighing night +breeze. The stars are twinkling brightly and +peacefully; to our left the big guns flash and +roar and their shells sing overhead, and on +the other side flares are being thrown up by +the battalions in the line. The north star is +well up to our right, so we are riding due west. + +We approach a corner where we turn a little +northward. Flashing from the window of +a small house on the corner is a light that +should not be there. The adjutant who is a +strict disciplinarian draws up his horse +opposite the sentry and proceeds to "strafe" him for +negligence. (How many new words during +the next few years will be the result of the +war!) We take the road to the right and a +couple of miles in advance we see the dim +shadows of those ancient and architecturally +beautiful towers on the hill of Mont St. Eloy. +The Huns have for some days been trying to +complete their ruin, recently destroying a corner. + +At 2 a.m. we arrive at wooden huts just +behind the towers. Our Colonel, who had +preceded us, with that fine thoughtfulness that +characterized him, had arranged that a battalion +in some adjoining huts supply us with tea and +toast--a banquet after our cold night ride. By +3 a.m. we are sleeping fast on the floor in our +Wolseley kits, as we are to rise at 6 a.m., for +by 7 a.m. the battalion is to be on the march +to a wood four miles back. As the camp we +are in was shelled yesterday by the Germans, +causing thirty casualties, we had better get out +of range while we can. + +At the appointed hour we are all up, our +kits are rolled and piled on a transport by our +batmen, and a hurried breakfast of bacon, +bread and tea partaken of. I see a few sick +and send a couple to the field ambulance, the +battalion marches away, the camp is inspected +to see that all is spick and span,--for each +battalion must always leave a clean camp behind +it--and we are on the road to map location +W 17 c 4 9, the only description we have of +our new home. + +As we start we pass the bodies of five dead +mules, victims of yesterday's shelling. The +roads are crowded with soldiers, horses, and +motor transports of all sorts. It is a bright +cool day--Sunday by the way--and a picturesque +scene meets the eye. In addition to the +busy, hurrying roadway traffic, the fields show +life of varying forms and pictures of interest +to a seeing eye. On one side in a field stands +a battalion forming three sides of a square. +The fourth side is filled by the regimental +band playing, "Lead, Kindly Light," the padre +standing beside them. It is an open air church +service. As far as the eye can see are military +huts, tents, drilling soldiers, and piles of +ammunition, but in the distance, overtopping +all, is the spire of a church, dumbly supplicating +us to send our thoughts upward to the +Prince of Peace, as everything on earth seems +to tell us to give our minds to the Gods of War. +And sailing high above the church steeple are +two military aeroplanes, like guardian angels +ready to protect their loved ones. Beyond +them in the dim distance hangs the lazy, +sausage-shaped form of an observation balloon. +Above the earth, on the earth, and under the +earth, one sees war, war, war! + +Here and there one passes white limestone +farmhouses of France with red tiled roofs, the +buildings forming a square about the court. +The latter is filled to overflowing with its +ever-present pile of manure, at one side of which +always stands the well, raised, it is true, a little +above the manure dump, but built of brick and +mortar through which in many cases permeate +the fluids from this cesspool in the center. A +medical friend of mine once told me that the +peasant farmer objects to chloride of lime +being put on the manure, as it gives a disagreeable +taste to the water! + +Then as far as the eye can see the fields that +are not employed for military purposes are +tilled and cultivated. How it is done is +something very difficult to understand, for one never +sees anybody working in them except an aged +man and woman, or a young child. Those in +the prime of youthful manhood are all +fighting for their adored country, la belle France. +On the corner of one of these cultivated areas +stands one of those small, stone shrines so +common in France. This one was erected, so it +said in carved letters, in 1816, "to the honor +of his beloved child, Eugenie de Lattre, by her +father." + +The date unconsciously carries one back to +the great Napoleon. If he could rise from +his magnificent tomb in the Invalides and look +about him in the midst of a war which dwarfs +his famous battles into insignificance, what +would his thoughts be? No longer would he +see his famous guard on prancing steeds and +with flowing plumes charging bristling British +squares, as they did in his last great fight at +Waterloo. He would find them in somber, +semi-invisible garb, standing shoulder to +shoulder with their one-time hated enemies, the +latter clad in plain khaki, both facing the same +foe, the Prussian, whom he had once humbled +by marching into Berlin, but who had later +helped the British defeat him at Waterloo. +And many he would see groveling in the earth +in trenches, dugouts, and tunnels, like so many +earthworms. Some few he would discover +who, with the French love of the spectacular, +are sailing thousands of feet in the air, or +leagues under the surface of the sea. + +We pass through a village, Camblain +L'Abbé, where we go into the town major's to +inquire about water supplies for our men. The +town major, a Canadian of fifty, reminds one +of us of an old friend of the same name in +Chicago, one of the many Canadians who has made +good--very good--in the United States. It +is a brother! + +So, it is being continually shown that +this war has made the world an even +smaller place than it was before. Our +information obtained, we move on to our new camp, +a virgin forest one-half mile above Camblain +L'Abbé, where there is no sign of tent, hut, or +dwelling of any kind. But the men are +already lolling happily on the bare ground, +ignoring the pounding of our guns a few miles +north and inhaling with anticipatory pleasure +the fragrant odors of stew, steaming in the +Battalion field cookers just below the brow of +the hill. + +The busy work of turning an open forest +into a camp to be occupied by one thousand +men for a week or more is already in progress. +The tents have not arrived, but brigade has +promised to get them along shortly. Plans +are being made as to where each company is +to be, where orderly room will be most +convenient, what is the best position for the +H.Q. and the other officers, where the cook houses, +cookers, water carts, latrines, refuse dumps, +canteen, batmen's quarters, medical inspection +tent, shoemaker, tailor, transport department, +and the hundred and one other departments +and sections are to be located. + +You see, it is not as easy as it sounds to take +a thousand men and encamp them in a proper +manner. Gradually the chaos is subdued, and +as tents and half-built huts come they are +quickly placed in their proper positions. While +it is all in progress one is likely to stumble over +the Colonel who has stolen half an hour from +his busy work to sit on the ground and eat +some bully beef, biscuits and chocolate, and +who insists on everyone else doing the same; +or to bump into the corpulent form of the +R.S.M.--regimental sergeant major--who is +everywhere, directing everything, in the way +that only a R.S.M. can do, though his +crossest word is usually grumbled through a smiling +ruddy face, for his heart is proportionate to his +large size. + +The day advances, night is coming on, and +the tents have arrived only in sufficient +numbers to cover one-third of the officers and men. +Fortunately the sun still shines, though the +March air is getting colder. A sleep in the +open air promises to require extra blankets +which do not exist in the camp. However, +everyone smiles, and there is at least a gradually, +though slowly, increasing amount of cover +for the men of the battalion. Some of the +men, wiser perhaps through previous like +predicaments, are choosing the sheltered side of a +small hill, and are digging shelters for +themselves over which they are putting coverings +of boughs. As it turns out they are wise, for +in the end only sufficient coverings come for +two-thirds of the battalion, and consequently, +a few officers and quite a few men sleep in the +open with only a blanket and their overcoats +for covering. And Nature, the deceitful jade, +who had smiled kindly upon us all day and +promised us a dry, though cold, night, about +midnight and for two days succeeding poured +torrents of rain down upon us. + +The sick parade grew larger and the ground +became lakes of mud. The cook-houses--so-called--which +were only fires built in hollows, +had their fires so drowned that we all ate +primitive diet as well as lived most closely to +nature. Everyone, as usual, had his consolation +in laughing at the discomforts of the others, +till order came out of chaos in the days +that followed. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +DUGOUTS + +To anyone who has served any time at the +front the above word will bring back +recollections of various kinds, for dugouts are +of varying types. The term is employed to +denote any shelter in the neighborhood of the +firing line, from the funk hole which is only a +recess cut into the side of a trench with little +or no shelter above it and none at the entrance, +to the cavity dug down into the ground a +distance varying from ten feet to seventy, and +strengthened by supports of wood, steel, or +concrete. It is also loosely used to denote +cellars, caves, and shellholes which may be +employed as means of protection from rifle bullet, +shrapnel, or high explosive shell. + +It is probably true in dugouts, as in many +of the other necessities of war, that we learned +much from the German, for he was probably +the first to recognize the protection rendered +by a well-built--or, rather, well-dug--reënforced +hole in the ground. At various times +when we have taken portions of the German +lines we have found well-made homes underground, +with two or more long entrances, one +at either end, so that if one is hit by a shell, the +other affords a means of exit to the inhabitants. + +Those we took at Vimy seemed almost free +of rats, which statement could not truthfully +be made of our own dugouts. I don't know +whether the German has some method of +getting rid of rats, but I do know from practical +and irritating experience that the German +either has no method of freeing his dugouts of +lice, or else thoroughly enjoys the company of +vermin. None of us who occupied his +underground dwellings, even if only for a few days, +came back free from these annoying and +disgusting companions. So tenacious and +clinging were they that it took repeated baths and +changes to free us of them. One might conclude +that they had been treated in a brotherly +way by the Hun. + +Of course, as Kelly said, scratching is +common in the best circles out there. The man +who has to reach over his shoulder in an +attempt to remove an irritation from that almost +unattainable spot between the shoulder blades +is not shunned or looked at askance, but serves +only as a source of amusement to his +companions. Underwear searching is a common, +very common, form of pastime. Though you +may have been a very dignified and sensitive +soul, your sensitiveness gradually dulls until +you care not a "hoot" who may see you sitting +in a brilliant sunshine anxiously scanning your +clothes; or rising at midnight from a +much-troubled sleep and by dim candle light +beginning the often well-rewarded inspection. + +So far as the ordinary Tommy is concerned, +he ignores not only his acquaintances but the +world in general. There he sits in his bare +pelt and performs a massacre which in numbers +dwarfs almost to infinity the killings of the +Armenians by the Turks. In the town of +Vimy I one time passed a jocular, though +profitable, hour at this occupation while I sat +on the floor of the cellar of an old brewery +with a Scotch padre on one side of me, and a +Nova Scotia major on the other, all absorbed +in the same intense search, while above our +heads the shells every little while hit the fallen +walls of our shelter. And through the +thin-walled partition that separated us from our +soldier-servants we heard propounded a most +momentous question which showed us that they +too were employing their time to advantage. +The question was:-- + +"Say, Kelly, what the h---- will all the lice +do for a living after the war?" And for once +Kelly was floored. + +Often dugouts are but shelters dug into the +wall of a trench, a thin sheet-iron roof put on +top, and two or three layers of sandbags on +top of that. This gives protection against +bullets, shrapnel, or bits of shell, but a straight +hit from a medium-sized shell would go right +through. And yet it is strange how seldom +these are hit direct, considering their large +numbers. This may in part account for one's +feeling of relative security while in them, but +this feeling is no doubt also partly due to our +resemblance to the ostrich which hides its head +to avoid danger. Be this as it may, many a +good night's sleep have I passed in shelters +such as this, with shells bursting within one +hundred yards at frequent intervals during the +night. During the month previous to the +Battle of Arras my orderlies and I lived in an +abode of this nature most of the time, only 500 +yards from our front line trenches. Shells +continually fell well within the hundred yard +radius of it--as a matter of fact, shortly +afterwards this dugout was completely blown +in--yet no one worried in the least about it. This +is not told as a strange experience, for all +officers who have served at the front have often +lived in the same surroundings. This experience +is related only to illustrate one type of +protective shelter. + +Deep dugouts vary in depth anywhere from +ten to forty or fifty feet in cases where the +soldier has had to do all the digging, but in some +cases where limestone quarrying has been +extensively carried on there have often been +found, ready to hand, caves, sixty to one +hundred feet in depth, such as the famous Zivy +cave, opposite Mt. St. Eloy. There are many +of them about this region, some of which, as +the one mentioned, are large enough to give +shelter to 1000 men. Usually there is a +circular airshaft in the center. This shaft in +Zivy cave was the target for months for +German gunners, as they had occupied this region, +and knew it well. In fact the story is told +that in this cave, or one of the others near +about, 800 Germans were gassed and killed by +the French when they retook this ground. +How much truth is in the story it is difficult to +say. But at any rate, all through the hard, +cold winter of 1916-17 the Canadians who were +holding this front found good protection and +some warmth in this cave for many of their +men, though at all times the air in it had a +grayish tinge, as the ventilation was hardly +up-to-date. + +On one occasion at 11 p.m. Colonel J---- +and the writer found Zivy cave as welcome a +sight as ever struck the eye of man. Coming +into the trenches, we stumbled into a heavy +Hun artillery barrage. After a number of +close shaves, in two of which we were buried in +mud from the exploding shell, we were heavily +dragging our feet through the thick mud of +Guillermot trench when a shell struck full in +the trench twenty feet in front of us, nearly +bursting our ear drums. We pressed closely +against the wall of the trench, awaiting the +next. It came almost immediately, landing +thirty feet behind us,--bracketing us. + +"The next will get us, sir," I said. + +"Not on your life, doctor," cheerfully +replied Colonel J----. And he was right, for a +few moments later we were stumbling into the +entrance of Zivy cave, and that slimy, dark, +four-foot opening was more welcome to us +than would be today the spacious rotunda of +the Savoy. I always admired the Colonel's +cheerful confidence, but, as Kelly well said, +"Confidence is a foine thing, but it raly has +very little affict in stoppin' a Hun shell that's +comin' yer way." This, the Colonel unfortunately +found out in the Battle of Arras. + +From one of these deep caves on the Vimy +front previous to the battle of Easter Monday, +tunnels miles in length, electric lighted, were +built, leading to different headquarters, aid +posts, ambulance depots, and to various points +in No Man's Land. They were of inestimable +service when the day of battle arrived. No +doubt they will be among the show-places of +France to encourage tourist traffic after the +war. + +The entrance to deep dugouts is usually +only high enough to go through in a stooped +position; and in this case the easiest way to +enter them is to back down. After some +practice one gets accustomed to this manner of +progression, and it becomes easy--as if our +bodies had reverted to the days of our +cave-dwelling ancestry to accompany the turning +back of civilization's clock. The two entrances +preferably point away from the enemy lines, +but in case of advance the enemy dugouts may +be taken over in spite of the fact that their +entrances seem to invite a shell to enter. And, +rather strangely, shells rarely seem to make a +straight hit on an entrance. + +Cellars are quite often utilized as shelters +where a little village has become incorporated +in the lines. They often make comparatively +luxurious places of residence for officers and +men, as luxury goes in these parts. The fallen +brick walls, in addition to the cellar roof, give +fair protection, though a straight hit by a +shell would mean a good chance of death to +those within. As breweries are usually the +most palatial buildings in French towns, they +are often chosen as headquarters, or as dressing +stations either for field ambulances or +regimental aid posts. A brewery at Aix Noulette +which, not excepting the church, was the only +building not destroyed by shell fire, for many +months served as a most complete advanced +dressing station. The rats were plentiful, as +they are in most dugouts, and often their little +beady eyes would stare in a startled manner at +one's flashlight, and their bodies remain in a +sort of hypnotized immobility. But this brewery +gave shelter to thirty or forty patients, and +was exceedingly useful, till one day a selfish +artillery officer came along and placed a +battery of heavies just behind it to draw German +fire on the brewery. This is a disagreeable +habit of the artillery, to choose hitherto safe +locations and to turn them into uninhabitable +ones, to the disgust of those about. + +One cellar dugout in Calonne is worthy of +description. It was in the cellar of what had +been a large residence. We used it as a +regimental aid post, and it was by far the most +luxurious that I have had the pleasure of +seeing. In the room of the cellar occupied by +the M.O. the walls had been papered, a +fireplace installed, and it contained two +comfortable beds, arm chairs, two carved oak-framed +mirrors, and a well-tuned piano with a stool. +This was only four hundred yards from the +front line. Often as the shells dropped all +about us a group of officers sat there in the +warm glow of a coal fire--the coal probably +filched by our batmen from the fosse nearby--while +someone of a musical turn played the +piano, and the others sang such classical ditties +as, Annie Laurie, When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, +and Another Little Drink Wouldn't Do +Us Any Harm. + +One morning, after a night of jollity such +as this during which the shelling had been fairly +heavy, one of the orderlies found a "dud" in +the next cellar which, had it exploded, would +have jolted the piano a bit! An engineering +officer mentioned to me that he had been +passing the previous night, and could not believe +his ears when he heard the singing and the +piano accompaniment. Could he be blamed? + +I hasten to add that this was the only dugout +in which such luxury as this existed, or +anything approaching to it. This cellar had one +other advantage. It still had enough of the +walls and roof standing to allow us in spare +moments to look through the holes made by +shells and see what was happening in No +Man's Land. And on one occasion the writer +stood up there and watched every detail of one +of the most successful raids ever put on by a +battalion on the British front. + +It was a cold winter's day, and the ground +had a complete covering of snow. Just at +daybreak a box barrage was put on a part of +the German line on our front. Our men +climbed out of the trenches, and apparently at +their leisure went across to the German lines. +One of the men carried a telephone with wire +coiled about it which he unrolled as he went, +and Major R----, M.C., telephoned back to +H.Q. in our lines that all was proceeding well. +They returned with one hundred prisoners, +at that time a record number for a raid. The +boy, aged twenty, who had carried the +telephone coolly rewound his wire, and brought +phone and wire back with him, getting a bullet +in the thigh, but finishing his work, and later +receiving a military medal for his conduct. I +was called down from this interesting sight to +dress him and some others of our wounded, as +well as many German wounded who were +brought in prisoners. + +For those who are unacquainted with barrages, +it may be explained that a box barrage +is a heavy shelling put on the enemy lines in +the form of a box, taking in the front line and +some of the supports in such a manner that +those within it cannot get back and reinforcements +are unable to come up from the rear. +The enemy are then dependent upon shell, and +machine-gun, and trench mortar fire in retaliating. + +We obtain the identification of the troops +opposite by the prisoners taken, as well as +getting from them in different ways information +useful to us and detrimental to the enemy. Of +course the enemy employs like methods, but +during the winter of 1916-17 on our different +fronts we positively owned No Man's Land. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE SICK PARADE + +The handling of the sick is not so easy a +matter as the caring for the wounded in +the lines, for the reason that it is not what +disease the man has that the medical officer must +decide as much as whether he has any disease, +or has simply joined the Independent Workers +of the World. In other words, is he really +ill, or is he just suffering from ennui, has he +at last become so "fed up" with it all that he +has decided to go sick, running the gauntlet of +an irate M.O. with the hope of receiving a few +hours or days of rest at the transport or in the +hospital? It may be a lucky father who knows +his own son, but it is a fortunate medical +officer who knows his own battalion. If he does +it is fortunate for the M.O., for it makes his +toils lighter. But it may not be so fortunate +for the poor devil who has just decided that +once again he will endeavor to "put it over" +the doctor. For the latter gets to know the +regular parader, and meets him with a +suspicious look of recognition. + +"Well, Jones, and what is it this time?" +asks the M. O. in tones so cold that the +poor victim can almost taste Pill No. 9, or +Castor Oil as he listens. If he is not ill, but is +simply sick and tired of the mud, dirt, rats, +lice, discipline, and discomfort--as we all get +at times--he will have to tax his ingenuity and +his acting ability to convince the doctor that +his pains in his legs and back are real, not +imaginary; or that his right knee is swollen, when +the practised eye of the physician says it is not. +If he is an old soldier and knows the game +well, he may get away with it, sometimes with +the tacit consent of a sympathetic medical officer. + +Tommy is not the only one who endeavors +at times to get out of the lines with imaginary +ills. His officers, and some medical officers for +the matter of that, occasionally set him the +example. It is very human on occasions to long +for comfort instead of discomfort; cleanliness +in place of dirt; a decent, white-sheeted bed in +exchange for a hard, uncomfortable, and +possibly vermin-infested bunk; and to wish to +indulge in peace, quietness, rest, safety, and +civilization after the noise, fatigue, dangers, and +barbarism that give truth to the saying that +war is hell. But the officer gets the same +treatment as does his men. On one occasion I saw +a colonel removed from an ambulance to make +room for a badly wounded Tommy. + +And it may safely be said that if the ordinary +soldier hates the sick parade, his abhorrence +of it is mild in comparison to that felt +for it by the battalion representative of the +Army Medical Corps. It is a thorn in his side +that makes itself felt daily. And the reason +is that he is between three fires,--the Assistant +Director of Medical Services who expects a +low sick rate in the different units; the +battalion and company commanders who expect the +men on parade, which means fit and on duty, +while at the same time insisting, quite rightly, +that the men get every attention at the hands +of the medical department; and a certain small +percentage of the men for whom the novelty +and glamour of the war has worn off and who +have become tired of the food, and find the +work arduous and monotonous. It is this +small percentage of the men--not large in +numbers, but present in most units--who +make the work difficult, for they begin to +wonder how they can escape the working parties +or the dangers and hardships of the trenches, +and if by any chance they have varicose veins, +flat feet, rheumatism, short sight, or any of the +thousand and one ills that man is heir to, they +immediately begin "swinging the lead," as the +boys call malingering. In the Royal Army +Medical Corps they call it "scrimshanking." + +The M.O. is not popular with leadswingers +or scrimshankers. A witty Tommy once said +that all you can get from an officer of the +medical department is a pill number nine--made +up mostly of calomel--"an' if 'e hain't got a +pill nine 'e'll give ye a four an' a five." + +No doubt the man who "swings the lead" is +to be sympathized with at times. Often he is +given work to do almost beyond human endurance, +his dugout may be a mudhole, his clothes +soaking from a downpour of rain, his rations +short, and, finally, perhaps the rum ration, the +one cheery thing on a dark day, is missing. +He has done his bit anyway--or thinks he has--and +his only possible relief is to say that he +is too ill to go on the next day. Occasionally, +he has an attack of what a sharp little French +Canadian sergeant called frigidity of the feet, +and he dreads his next tour in the front line. +At any rate, for one cause or another, he +decides to go before the M.O. And many funny +stories are told of the attempts made by men +to get a few days' "excuse duty," which means +a few days with nothing to do. Two men are +overheard at the following conversation: + +"Say, Bill, what are you goin' to tell the +croaker?"--a common name for a stern M.O. + +"Oh, I've got bad rheumatic pains in my back." + +"The devil you have; that's what I had. +Well, I'll go strong on diarrhea." + +Each tells his story. It depends on how sick +they appear or how often they have been +before his medical majesty in the past as to the +result. The latter at least may work a day +off, at the expense of a nauseating dose of +castor oil, taken at once, and some lead and +opium pills, consigned to the gutter as soon as +the sick man is out of sight. The former +probably gets M.&D., that is medicine and duty, +which translated means, carry on, with perhaps +a good rubbing of his back with a strong liniment. + +My corporal told me a story of two men who +opened a can of bully beef and for four days +left it standing on the parapet during hot +weather. Then they ate it with the hope of +getting ptomaine poisoning. + +Another chap is said to have feigned insanity +by giving all his attention to snatching up +every bit of paper he could find in the trenches +or out of them, and studiously endeavoring to +make the bits of paper into some important +document. He carried out this apparently +foolish search so long that at last he was +pronounced insane and given his discharge from +the forces. On receiving his discharge papers +he studied them carefully as he walked away. +Another soldier heard him murmur: + +"Why, that's the paper I have been searching +for all the time." + +Deafness is one of the commonest complaints +of a soldier who is scrimshanking. The soldier +tells the M.O. that for some months past his +hearing has been lessening and that at last he +is so deaf that he cannot carry on. He claims +that while on sentry duty or "standing to" in +the front line he has already nearly shot one +officer and three different men because he +could not hear them giving him the password. +The M.O. in a loud voice questions him as to +his name, place of birth, age, and so on, and +so on, keeping his face straight and his lips +hidden, to avoid allowing the soldier, if really +deaf, to read his lips. Gradually the voice of +the officer is lowered, and the man who at first +had difficulty hearing his loud tones, +unconsciously, if faking, answers the lowered voice +till he is answering to a voice that is almost a +whisper. + +Then comes suddenly a change in the manner +of the "croaker." He becomes stern and +rebukes the man, ordering him forth to do his +duty like the other men of his battalion, and +not ever again to dare to come on parade with +a plea of deafness, under a threat of marking +him plain "DUTY," which means criming and +a likelihood of twenty-eight days first field +punishment. + +Looking backward one can think of many +amusing incidents in which some chap tried to +get out of the lines, and perhaps succeeded in +so doing, by an imaginary ill. A soldier named +Jones who had not been long in the lines +became a regular caller upon me. As usual at +first every consideration was shown to him, +but as his face appeared and reappeared +almost daily, and as the said face was suffused +with the glow of health, his form of the +robust type, and his complaints always +functional--that is, consisting of symptoms only, +with no _signs_ of a real disease to cause them--I +began to feel certain that he was a +"lead-swinger." On his first call or two he had been +"excused duty," but as my suspicions grew +firmer that he was simply shifting his work +onto the shoulders of some other poor Tommy, +my manner toward him grew rather reserved, +and finally antagonistic. + +About this time he came to see me at one of +my daily morning sick parades. He tried to +look as ill and dejected as his very healthy +appearance would permit. + +"Well, Jones, what is the trouble this time?" +I asked harshly when his turn came. + +"I can't swallow, sir. I can't get any food +down my throat. I don't know what's the +matter, sir, but I had this happen to me ten +years ago, and I nearly died. I was in the +hospital for three months." + +"How long since you have swallowed any +food, Jones?" + +"Well, I managed to get down a little, night +before last, but not a bite since then, not a bite. +And I'm feeling awful weak. I don't think I +could carry on long like this. But of course +I'll do my best, sir." + +"Yes, I suppose so, Jones," I answered, +feeling certain that he was lying. "Of course +a few days without food really does most of +us good. A friend of mine regularly goes a +week on nothing but water whenever he feels +a bit 'livery,' as the English say. And then +you remember there was a man once who went +forty days fasting. He became quite famous. +So another day or two won't hurt you, Jones. +However, if it went too long it might become +serious. So I want you to report back here +tomorrow morning, sure, if you have not +succeeded in swallowing by that time. I have in +my panier a stomach tube, and we'll pass it +down through your esophagus and open it +up. It's a very tender passage," I continued +without smiling, "and you must expect severe +pain from the passing of the tube; unfortunately +we have nothing to deaden the pain, but +you can stand it if you make up your mind to +do so. Now you do your best to swallow like +a good fellow, and I think you will succeed, +but be sure to come back tomorrow if you +don't. That'll do, Jones. Next." + +As a matter of fact I had no stomach or +esophageal tube, but I was just trying out a +little Christian Science treatment, for, as +Dooley says, if the Christian Scientists had a little +more science and the medical men a little more +Christianity it would not matter much which +you called in, so long as you had a good nurse. +And the moral treatment proved effective in +this case, for Jones did not come back next +day; nor did we see him again till nearly a +week had passed when he came in on parade +again. + +"What's doing this time, Jones? Can't +swallow again?" + +"Oh, no, sir. I got my swallowing back all +right." I could hardly resist the temptation +to smile. "But since then I vomit all my food. +Haven't kept a thing on my stomach since I +saw you, sir. I saw your man, Kelly, the other +day, and he was so unkind as to tell me that I +had better take something with claws in it. He +seemed to think I was swinging the lead, and +I'm a sick man, sir," with an injured air which, +however, did not take any of the healthy red +from his cheek. I stepped outside and asked +the corporal in charge of the sick from his +company what diet Jones was able to eat. + +"Diet! He don't eat no diet, sir. He eats +every darn thing in sight and looks for more," +was the sneering reply. + +"I thought so. Now, Jones," I said sternly, +"if you come on sick parade again, when you +are not sick I'm going to put in a crime charge +against you for malingering. Now, get out." + +And he got out, and that was the last time +I saw him on sick parade. + +The chaps who fake are nearly always new +arrivals in the line. One such came hopping +into my dugout in the middle of the night, +with his boot, sock, and puttee, off one foot +which he carefully kept off the ground. He +said he had been blown up by a shell and +buried, severely injuring the foot he had bared. +I examined the foot tenderly and found a +swelling half the size of an egg just over the +inner side of the ankle. He howled with pain +when I touched it, so my examination was +rather cursory--that is hurried. Without +diagnosing the condition, I swabbed it with +iodine, merely to do something, and applied a +dressing, telling my assistant to make out a +hospital entry card for him. After leaving him +to go back to my bunk, for I was tired, I +happened to glance around and saw a broad grin +on his face. Stepping back I took off the +dressing, and carefully examined the swelling +notwithstanding his protest that it was very +painful. I found then that it was simply a +fatty tumor--an excess, but harmless, growth +of fat in a localized area--which had probably +been there for years. He then admitted the +fact that the swelling had been there for years, +but of course still claimed that he had hurt his +ankle a few minutes before. As it showed no +sign of it, he went back to duty! + +Every medical officer has many such incidents +after a few months of service. They often +add a bit of humor to a dull business. +Rather strangely, the parades are always +larger out of the lines than in them, for the +vast majority of the men hold it as a point of +honor to stick it out, no matter how rough it +may be, while in the line. But as soon as the +battalion gets out of the line and hard training, +route marches, equipment cleaning and inspection +begin, the parades increase in size. Often +the men hope that they will be given excuse +duty, which means that they have nothing to +do for that day. Or, should the parade be held +at a late hour, some few of them prefer to +stand about the M.O.'s tent awaiting their +turn, to doing some drill or route march. The +sick parade is held daily at a fixed hour, and +as a rule the earlier the parade the smaller the +number who come. If it is held before all +other parades, only the really ill come, for the +others would but add to their daily number of +parades if they came pretending to be ill. + +A medical friend of mine had an interesting +way of keeping down the numbers at his +parade. He was a young man with a ministerial +air, wore eyeglasses, and was apparently very +serious, though underneath the outer covering +was a rich vein of humor. When his numbers +grew too large to suit him, in other words +when fifty to one hundred came, to practically +all he gave an ounce of castor oil, to be taken in +his presence. One day the colonel came to him +and said that he had had some complaints from +the men that the only thing they got from the +M.O. for all complaints was castor oil. The +medical officer's face remained long and +serious, and looking at the colonel over his +spectacles, he said: + +"Well, do you know, my dear colonel, that +castor oil is a wonderful remedy, marvelous, +almost miraculous. Can you believe it on my +sick parade a week ago today there were +seventy-five sick who came. I have given them +nothing but castor oil, and so many are cured +that today only seventeen came to see me. It's +really an astonishing remedy. Wouldn't you +like to take an ounce of it, sir?" + +"No, damn you, I wouldn't," roared the +colonel, as he made his exit. + +I was sitting in his tent one day when a +lieutenant came in to see him, saying that ten +years before he had broken his clavicle--"collar +bone,"--and that over the old fracture he +was having so much pain at times that he +feared he would have to get a month off. + +"Ah, yes, my dear Mr. Blank. Would you +kindly divest yourself of your clothes till I +examine the shoulder?" and the half of his +face on my side screwed itself up into an +exaggerated wink, which meant to me that he +considered that this officer was trying to "put +one over." He probably knew him! + +When the officer had stripped, Capt. Smith +asked him to show the exact spot of tenderness, +and the lieutenant put his finger with +exactitude on a certain point. Captain Smith +touched the spot with his fingers, the officer +exclaiming, "Oh, that hurts, doc," and +drawing back in pain. + +"Ah, yes, I'm sorry, but I'll be careful, +Mr. Blank," and he examined gently the shoulder, +arm and chest, but always finished the +examination by pushing in fairly hard with his +finger and saying, "Now that's where it hurts, +Mr. Blank?" And Mr. Blank would each +time cringe with the pain of the touch. He +repeated this again and again, but I noticed +that each time he came back to the tender spot +he chose a point an inch or so from that which +he had chosen the last time. Finally he had +poor Blank saying, "Yes, that's the spot," +when the spot touched was nearly six inches +from the original sensitive point. At last the +doctor said, very seriously: + +"Yes, yes, Mr. Blank, that painful condition +must be attended to. It is a strange +condition, don't you know, for as I go on examining +it, the tenderness shifts about a great deal, +and I feel sure that with a little rubbing it +may be driven out altogether. Now this liniment +is the very thing, the very thing. Yes, +yes, twice daily, night and morning. Good +afternoon, my dear Blank. Don't fail to come +back if it troubles you any more;" and Blank +went out looking a bit sheepish, while the +doctor turned to me again with his face wearing +that exaggerated wink. Then he continued, +as if he were just carrying on an interrupted +conversation, "You know, Manion, some of +these officers are exceedingly troublesome, +exceedingly so, when they happen to swing the +lead, for one must appear to have the greatest +consideration for them. Now I have one +extremely interesting case of laryngitis in one +of the officers. It goes every now and then to +the extent of complete loss of voice. Troublesome +condition, for he cannot give his orders +to his men, and to hurry him back into +condition I have sent him twice to the hospital. +Now, though this officer's courage is absolutely +unquestioned, I find myself at times wondering +if it may not be just that general fed-up +feeling that we all get rather than laryngitis +that affects him. Captain Thompson is a great +friend of mine which makes it all the more +difficult, but you know, my dear chap, really it's +so easy to quit speaking aloud, and just whisper +instead. I wonder does he talk in his +sleep? By Jove, that would be interesting. I +must make inquiries. + +"But," he continued, "I told him off a bit +a couple of nights ago. One of our companies +was putting on a raid at daybreak, and the +officer in charge of the raid is not overburdened +with nerve. One-half hour before the raid he +started to groan, when we were all in +headquarters dugout together, and said he had a +very severe pain in his stomach or bowels. +Though I doubted the pain, I examined him +carefully, and finding no real cause for it I +allowed him to carry on, and, to do him justice, +he went over the top like a man and did his bit +in the raid as well as anyone could have done. + +"But just after I had examined him Thompson +stepped up familiarly to me and said: 'Do +you really think, Smith, that So-and-so did +have a pain?' 'Damn you, Thompson,' I +replied, 'what right have you to ask me such a +question?' 'Oh, come now, Smith, really, do +you think he _did_ have a pain?' 'Well, frankly, +Thompson,' I answered, in a low, confidential +tone, 'I am losing so much of my faith in +humanity, don't you know, that I find myself +doubting if you have any laryngitis when you +lose your voice!' And with a good-natured +burst of laughter he left me. But I somehow +feel that he won't have laryngitis again for +some time! + +"But honestly, Manion, my great surprise +always has been, and still is, not that so many +try to get out of the line, but that in spite of +the dangers and hardships 95 per cent. of +officers and men do their hard, dangerous, +trying jobs with a smile and without complaint. +How very little cowardice there is in the +world!" + +And anyone who has served out there must +agree with that opinion, particularly when he +remembers the great numbers who have +remained at home, facing no guns, braving no +dangers, enduring no hardships. The above +stories are told to illustrate the humorous side +of the life; for all praise and gratitude is due +to the men who have served out there in the +noble cause of the allies. If at times some +officer or man gets tired of the mud, rain, lice, +shells, dirt, and dangers that he is daily +encountering, and tries to get a few days in +civilized surroundings, he is but showing a very +human side to his nature. + + +[Illustration: Diagram Showing Route of Wounded +from Firing Line to Base Hospitals.] + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +CARING FOR THE WOUNDED + +The method of caring for the wounded +at the front depends a great deal upon +whether a battalion is holding a set of trenches +on a standing front, or advancing, either in a +big push, or in a raid. The medical officer to a +fighting battalion is the member of the Army +Medical Corps who is closer to the firing line +than any of the other officers of that corps in +the whole theater of war. He is served by the +nearest field ambulance, whose stretcher +bearers not only evacuate the wounded from his +R.A.P.--regimental aid post--but also keep +him supplied with medicines, dressings, splints, +and other medical and surgical necessities. +His food is sent up with that of the remainder +of his battalion from his own battalion transport. + +The field ambulance evacuates the severe +cases to the nearest C.C.S.--casualty clearing +station--which is the closest hospital to the +lines. It is at the C.C.S. that the necessary +operations are performed. Here the real +surgical work of the medical corps begins, for up to +that station it is much a matter of first aid. +From the casualty clearing station cases that +look as if they will require protracted attention +are transferred to ambulance trains, which +convey the cases fifty, sixty, or more miles to the +base hospitals at the rear, perhaps about +Boulogne, Havre and other towns reasonably well +out of danger. And from these hospitals the +wounded or sick may be transferred again, this +time to hospital ships which cross the channel +to one of our channel ports. At these points +they are once more put aboard ambulance +trains and distributed to hospitals in London, +Manchester, Canterbury, Edinburgh or any +of the other large hospital centers. + +Suppose that a battalion is holding a part +of the entrenched front, roughly one thousand +yards square. The medical officer always +travels with his battalion. In an area such as this +his R.A.P. would be in a dugout somewhere +in the vicinity of the one which is used as +headquarters for the battalion. A medical officer's +position is toward the rear of his battalion +whether the men are on the march, in an +advance, or holding the lines, for the reason that +the wounded and sick are naturally sent toward +the rear. Very commonly the R.A.P. is about +half way from the rear support trench to the +firing line. + +The dugout of the M.O. is generally of the +superficial variety. It has a roof made up of +two or three layers of bags of sand piled on +top of a layer of boards, just sufficient to give +one a feeling of security in a most insecure +position. A straight hit from a shell on the roof +of this type of dugout means that a new medical +officer will be required for that battalion +at once. I have a vivid recollection of my +first experience in such a dugout, long before +I had become accustomed to living in them by +the week. It was on a fairly active front near +Bully Grenay. I had been sent from a field +ambulance to relieve the regular M.O. while +he took a well earned leave. His palatial +residence was only about two hundred yards from +the front line, its ceiling was less than six feet +from the floor, for my head hit it whenever I +stood up, and the rain which poured for days +trickled down our necks as it filtered through +the roof in many places. The shells kept +dropping most annoyingly that first day, hitting +everywhere except exactly on the center of +the roof, and I knew it was only a matter of +minutes till one landed there. Then to add to +my uneasiness the sergeant lit a fire with wet +wood which made a black smoke that poured +from the bit of tin which was used for a pipe +in the roof. This was the finishing touch, for +I felt certain that every gunner on that front +was using that smoke for a target. Turning +to the sergeant, I asked with as cool a manner +as I could command: + +"How close do those shells have to come before +you would consider it advisable to move out?" + +"To move out? Oh, coming through the +roof, I guess," he answered, with a blank stare. +I did not dare to ask any more questions, but +I thought to myself,--"what a nice, healthy +time to move!" It took some time for me to +become accustomed to that billet, but out there +one learns to become accustomed to anything. + +In front of the Medical Officer are the men +who hold the line. There are four platoons to +a company, four companies to a battalion; and +with each platoon is one stretcher bearer, +making sixteen bearers to each battalion. These +stretcher bearers are trained in first aid, +dressings, setting fractures and so forth by the +M.O. of their regiment when they are out at rest +billets behind the lines. In the lines they +accompany their platoons and companies, and +when the men go over the top in raids and +advances the stretcher bearers go with them, +stopping to dress and care for the wounded +as they cross the battle area. + +No finer set of men serve out there than the +stretcher bearers, whether they serve with a +battalion, an ambulance, or any other unit. +Their work is without the stimulation or +excitement the fighting men get, but has the same +dangers and hardships. They go over the top +as do the others, and it is their duty to carry +wounded with all haste through heavily +bombarded areas. The fact that, out of thirty-two +stretcher bearers used by me in three days, +thirteen were hit, well illustrates the dangers that +these boys cheerfully go through. A good +story is told of one of them, a chap who in civil +life had been a "tough" in the slums of one of +our large cities, and who had seen the inside +of a jail more than once, but who as a stretcher +bearer faced coolly, even gayly, any extraordinary +danger to get his wounded to the rear. + +He was in charge of a squad for Number +---- Canadian Field Ambulance one day. He +and his men were taking a stretcher case over a +ridge which was under constant and heavy shell +fire. Tiring, he commanded his squad to stop +and rest. They obeyed, but demurred, saying +that it was too dangerous a place to rest. + +"Naw," he said, lighting a cigarette after +handing one to the wounded man, "there ain't +no danger. Sit down an' take it easy." + +"But, look here now, Tom," the others +argued, "you may be the first to have one of +those bally shells blow you into Kingdom +Come." + +"Not--by--one--damsite," he slowly +replied, "I've got a hunch dat I'm goin' to slip +me arm round Lizzie once agen before dey +get me;" and he lay on the ground and thoughtfully +puffed at his cigarette. So the others +joined him, for their bravery was unquestioned; +and with the philosophy so common out there, +one said,--"Well, I guess we can stand it if +you can." Tom had puffed at his fag a few +moments with the shells dropping dangerously +near, when, without changing his position, he +asked: + +"Did you mugs ever hear de story of de two +specials wot met in Lon'on de oder day? +Naw? Well, I'll tell yez. Two special +constables met, an' one o' dem had no hat, coat +all torn to rags, bot' eyes black, an' some hair +gone. 'Hello, Brown,' says de oder, 'wot-a-hell's +wrong wid yez?' An' de first answers: +'Ye know dat purty little Missus Smit wot +lives behind de Lion an' Dragon whose husban's +gone to de front? Well, he ain't gone!'" + +Even the wounded man joined the laugh. +They all finished their smoke without even +glancing in the direction of the shells bursting +nearby, when the stretcher was picked up and +carried safely to the rear. His officers all say +that they would as quickly trust Tom in a +ticklish job as any other man in the world. But +he is just an example of the thousands of loyal, +life-risking stretcher bearers--some, like Tom, +rough, uneducated, uncouth; many others with +the culture acquired in college halls and +drawing rooms--who are daily and nightly giving +of their blood and their service to the men in +the lines. + +These bearers wear a red cross on the arm, +are non-combatant troops and carry no rifles. +Each two of them carry a stretcher, and all of +them carry a little haversack slung over the +shoulder and filled with large and small +surgical dressings, bandages, scissors, splints, and +perhaps a bottle of iodine. Being non-combatant +troops they are supposed to be allowed to +carry out their work in comparative safety, but +they really run the same risks as the combatants. +This is to be expected in severe actions, +for a machine-gunner or artilleryman cannot +even try to avoid the stretcher bearers when +they are mixed up, as they always are, with +the fighting troops. + +But, at any rate, the Germans get the reputation +of caring as little for red crosses or white +flags as they do for scraps of paper. One +afternoon I stood in a trench one-quarter mile +from Willerval which was held by our troops, +and in the ruins of which there was an advanced +dressing station of a field ambulance. For +some reason two ambulances came over the +crest of Vimy Ridge in broad daylight, in +plain view of the Germans, and ran rapidly +down into Willerval. They arrived without +mishap, but one-half hour later I saw them +start back over the ridge a few minutes apart. +The first one had got one-half way up the steep +side of the ridge when a heavy German shell +lit thirty feet behind it. And then shell after +shell dropped behind it all the way up the +steep slope. Fortunately the gunner's aim was +short, for the car disappeared from view over +the crest. Then the second car made the trip, +the German shells falling behind it just as they +had with the first one. They both got out in +safety, but no thanks were due to the Huns +who had done their best to get them with heavy +shells. That was one instance in which I saw +the Germans shell two ambulances which could +not have been mistaken for any other type of +vehicle. + +Suppose a soldier is hit by a piece of shell +or sniper's bullet while he is in a trench which +his battalion is holding. He is first attended +by the stretcher bearer nearest to him at the +time, who should use the man's own aseptic +dressing which each soldier is compelled to +carry in the lining of his coat or tunic. The +injured man is then taken to the dugout of the +M.O., if necessary on a stretcher, where the +M.O. rearranges the dressing, gives a dose of +morphine if pain is severe, and after seeing that +all hemorrhage is stopped and the man is +comfortable, he hands the case over to the field +ambulance stretcher bearers who always serve him +and live in an adjoining dugout. This squad +carries the case back--through the trenches if +there is no hurry, but overland if haste is +important--to the advanced dressing station of +the field ambulance. If this should be a +particularly hard trip it may be done in relays. +For there relay post dugouts are established +with other bearer squads. + +The A.D.S. is usually situated a mile or so +in the rear of the trenches, preferably in a large +cellar, but at any rate in a fairly well sheltered +area where cots are ready to receive fifty or +more patients. At the A.D.S. one or two of +the medical officers of the field ambulance are +stationed with a large staff of men. The +patient is here made comfortable; given coffee or +cocoa; name, number and battalion recorded; +and finally he is inoculated with anti-tetanic +serum. This has practically wiped out tetanus, +or lock-jaw, which was very prevalent at the +beginning of the war. He is kept here till a +convenient time, which may be after dark, +when he and any others who may have come +in are put into ambulances and taken to the +M.D.S.--main dressing station--of the field +ambulance, another two or three miles behind. +The M.D.S. may be in some old château, or +in a group of huts, or, if the weather is mild, +in tents. Here a light case, or slightly +wounded man, may be kept for a few days and then +sent back to the line or to a rest station to +recover his stamina and quiet his nerves. But +if the case should be a serious one, such as a +shattered leg or arm or a large flesh wound +that will take a considerable time to heal, he is +again transferred by ambulance to the +C.C.S.--Casualty Clearing Station--another two to +four miles back. + +The C.C.S., usually in huts or tents, is the +first real hospital behind the firing zone. It +may have accommodation for a couple of +hundred patients; is supplied with X-Ray +equipment, a well-arranged operating room with +expert surgical assistance, and is the nearest place +to the line that trained nurses are sent. Here +for the first time since he left the line the +patient gets all those little motherly attentions +that only a woman can give. The injured man +may be kept here days, weeks, or even months +if he happens to be a case that would be +endangered by moving. All immediately +necessary operations are at once performed, and +often a seriously wounded man from the firing +line may be lying anesthetized on the operating +table of a C.C.S., being operated upon by +expert surgeons within two or three hours of +receiving his injury--practically as good +attention as this type of injury would receive in +civil life. + +This is particularly the case where a man has +been wounded in the abdomen, from which +wound he may quickly develop peritonitis and +reach the valley of the shadow of death in a +few hours if prompt attention is not given. It +is also done in cases of head or lung injuries, +or in any wound causing uncontrollable +hemorrhage. In any of these emergencies, after +the M.O. in the line has given all immediately +necessary attention, the patient is ticketed +SERIOUS by him, and he is rushed with all +speed to the A.D.S., perhaps at great personal +risk to the stretcher bearers. Here he is +quickly transferred to an ambulance which may have +to rush him over heavily shelled roads, missing +the main dressing station altogether, and taking +him direct to the C.C.S. for his life-saving +operation. + +After varying periods in the C.C.S. the +patients are sent by ambulance trains, which run +almost to their doors, to base hospitals at the +rear. From here they are re-transferred to +hospital centers in England and Scotland. + +So much for the methods used in caring for +the wounded in the lines during stationary +periods. The same principles and methods are +employed during big advances, but of course +on a larger and more thorough scale. All the +arrangements are made during the weeks +preceding a push; extra stretcher bearers are +trained; the field ambulances increase their +staffs, particularly just behind the firing lines, +in order that the field may be cleared of wounded +at the first lull in the fighting. The whole +intricate system is so complete and so well +arranged that hundreds of cases may be rushed +through in a few hours, some of them being +comfortably in bed in English hospitals the +evening of the day on which they received their +"Blighty." + +It must be remembered that in actions of a +severe nature, such as great advances, the first +object of the advancing troops is to obtain +their objective and to hold it. Therefore care +of the wounded may not be possible till the +action is over. But during these hours the +wounded are by no means without attention. +It is here that the battalion stretcher bearers +do their finest and most self-sacrificing work. +They go over the top with the fighting troops, +and as the men are hit it is their duty to give +them first aid, while the fight still goes on, with +machine-gun bullets whistling by their ears and +shells bursting all about them. Their duty it +is, and nobly they perform it, to dress the +wounded, stop bleeding if possible, and +temporarily set fractures. Then they place the +wounded men in the most protected side of a +shellhole, or in any other sheltered spot, and +pass on to the next needy one, after placing +any bit of available rag on a stick or old bayonet +to attract the attention of the field clearing +parties who come over that area. In the +meantime the wounded who can walk--walking +cases--make their way to the point at which +the M.O. is caring for the injured. After +getting the required attention, they walk on back +to the A.D.S. of the field ambulance. + +At the first lull in the fighting it is the duty +of the medical officer to see to the clearing of +the field of those wounded who cannot walk. +Any men going to the rear for supplies, and +any German prisoners, are commandeered by +the M.O. as stretcher parties. In big actions +his own trained stretcher bearers are employed +only as dressers. In the battle of Vimy Ridge +which began at 5:30 a.m., it was twelve hours +later ere all the wounded on our front were +evacuated to the field ambulances. That was +quick work when one considers that some +battalions, including my own, had 35 per cent. of +their men hit. One hundred German prisoners +were sent up under escort to act as stretcher +bearers, and gradually the field was cleared. + +The only difference between the handling of +the wounded during actions and during +stationary warfare is the fact that in the former +more unavoidable congestion takes place, +though this is prevented as far as possible in +the forward areas by rushing the cases to the +rear or to England. In big actions, where +many wounded are expected, this is always +done. + +After hospital treatment in England or +Scotland the men are sent to convalescent +homes in Ramsgate, Herne Bay, Whitstable, +Sturry, Brighton, or any of the hundred and +one other points that are suitable in the +British Isles. Later these men are sent before +medical boards which decide as to their +disposal thereafter. They may be sent directly +back to duty; to prolonged rest; to have some +weeks, P.T.--physical training--which is not +popular with the men, but is often needed; or, +they may be marked P.B.--permanent base +duty--which means that they are not fit for +general service, but are able to perform some +duties at the base or at home. Lastly, they +may be discharged as permanently unfit for +further service, the amount of their pensions +being decided by the pension board. + +Until the wounded man reaches the C.C.S. his +wounds are dressed in very rough surroundings, +not the aseptic dressing rooms of peace +times. Dugouts, cellars or open trenches are +employed for dressing stations. After the +battle of Vimy Ridge my boys and I dressed our +men for four days in an open, muddy trench, +with the shells dropping about all the time. +Dugouts are simply holes in the ground, and +may be most primitive dressing rooms. Everyone +knows how aseptic the ordinary cellar could +be made, even with the greatest care on the +part of an M.O.'s assistants. But our +dressings are folded and wrapped in such a +manner that they can be applied, even though the +dresser's hands are covered with mud, without +the aseptic part of the dressing, which is +applied to the wound, being in any way soiled. +I have given one hundred and fifty inoculations +hypodermically for the prevention of typhoid +in a tent in which the men and myself +stood ankle deep in mud. Not one case of +infection of the point at which the needle was +inserted occurred. This illustrates the efficiency +one reaches from being accustomed to working +in filthy surroundings. Your stretcher bearers +and dressers become as skilled in this art as +yourself, so that the men really get good +attention in spite of the many difficulties in the +way. Of course, at the C.C.S., which is five to +ten miles from the trenches, the surroundings +are as good as they are in the average city +hospital. And the base hospitals are often +elaborate in their equipment, though they may be +situated in large tents or newly constructed +wooden huts with stoves to lessen the raw cold +of the French winter weather. The base hospitals +in England are the highly scientific city +hospitals, simply put under military control. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +CHEERFULNESS + +Something that is noticed by all who +have served at the front is the drollery of +the men in dangerous or uncomfortable +surroundings. Sometimes it is good-natured, +sometimes ill-tempered and critical, but it is +ever present. One cannot but believe that the +wag of the company is better than a tonic to +the men, in fact is almost as good a pick-me-up +as the rum ration. Who has not felt the benefit +of a good laugh? Who has not seen a well-developed +sense of humor save a difficult situation, +or at least alleviate it? + +With Tommy the humor crops out in the +most unexpected situations. Under circumstances +in which the ordinary man would turn +ghastly pale, Tommy cracks a joke. Crossing +an open space toward a railway embankment +I was fifty yards or so from a culvert through +which I had intended passing, when a soldier +reached it. He was carrying a load on his +back, and was sucking on a pipe, his head +bowed in thought. A whizz bang shrieked by +me, and struck just at the entrance to the +culvert, missing him only by inches. Fortunately +it banged into the earth four or five feet +beyond his position at the moment, so that the +fragments spread from him, not towards him. +He had escaped death by a hairbreadth. He +stopped in his path, took his pipe from his +mouth, raised his head and looked with a +surprised air at the hole in the ground made by +the bursting shell. His only comment was +uttered in a slow voice: + +"Well, I'll--be--jiggered!" And putting +his pipe back into his mouth, he coolly resumed +his walk and his meditation, without altering +his course by one inch. Thus do men come to +accept narrow escapes from death as a matter +of course, where such escapes are as common as +is plum jam in the rations. + +-------- + +The men are plodding along in thick tenacious +mud, carrying sixty-pound trench mortars, +each foot with its accumulated mud weighing +at least twenty pounds, and feeling as if it +weighed a ton. They are sweating, and blowing, +and tired. They halt for a rest and lean +up against the wet, muddy wall of the trench, +carelessly chucking the heavy mortars into the +mud. Then the wag begins by cursing the +bally war, consigning the officers to perdition, +condemning the food as unfit for "villyuns," +and wishing the Kaiser "wuz in 'ell." "And +the blighters hexpect hus to stand an' face the +henemy. An' ye betcher life we'll do it too, +coz we couldn't run if we want to: we're stuck +in the mud!" A smile passes along the tired +faces; their rest is over, and more or less +rejuvenated, they take up their burdens and pass +on. + +-------- + +Coming out of the front lines one day when +we were relieved by another battalion, my +corporal and I were going along a support trench +when we came up with some officers of our +battalion who were leaning against the parapet, +waiting for the Germans to let up shelling the +trench twenty-five yards in advance of us. +We joined the other officers, and were soon +joined by about sixty men who were trying to +get out the same way. The Germans were +persistent, so we all finally turned back to go out +by another trench. The shells followed us +along the trench, for which reason none of us +slackened our pace. As we hurried along a +rich Scotch voice said loudly enough for all to +hear: + +"By G----, these Hun shells are better than +the pipes to make us march." + +-------- + +Passing along a muddy support trench, +returning from a tour of inspection, we came +upon a fatigue or working party of soldiers +digging an ammunition dump. They were +working on a ridge, and as it was a bright day +they could be seen much of the time by the +German snipers and might at any moment get some +shells or bullets thrown into their midst. It +was hard, dirty and dangerous work, but +bantering voices reached us: + +"What did you do in the great war, papa?" +asks one. + +"I dug 'oles, m'son," replies another. + +"But that's not as bad as 'avin' 'oles dug in +ye," adds a third. + +"You're bally-well right, it's not," says a +fourth. And the work proceeds. + +-------- + +Humor, of course, is not limited to the ordinary +ranks, O.R.'s as they are called officially. +Our battalion was putting on a big raid, "a +show." In the end it was carried out very +successfully, but owing to the fact that it was a +daylight raid, and that a smoke barrage was +to be employed, the wind had to be taken into +account, and the raid was put off from time to +time. Code words had to be arranged to be +telephoned by brigade to the battalion. Codes +are employed because of the danger of the +Germans picking up the messages by a special +apparatus for that purpose. An English officer +present at the meeting to discuss plans +suggested the following code which was employed: + +If the raid was to be indefinitely postponed +the word _Asquith_ was to be used, meaning, +wait and see. The word _Haldane_ was +employed with the signification, put off until +tomorrow. And when it was finally decided to +be put on, _Lloyd George_ was the code word +which meant, to be carried out at once. + +Anyone familiar with British politics during +the war will agree that it was rather a neat +code. + +-------- + +And it is said that a French Canadian +commanding officer, in whose battalion a murder +had been committed, had inserted in his orders +of the day the following bit of unconscious humor: + +"It is to be regretted that a murder has been +committed in this battalion. This is the second +murder in our Canadian forces. It is to be +distinctly understood that this pernicious habit +must cease forthwith." + +-------- + +Many amusing stories are told of the contents +of letters censored at the front. Usually +all the letters of a company or section are +censored by the officers of the company or section. +One of the best stories was told me by an English +officer. A Tommy of his section wrote to +his beloved: + +"Dear Maggie: I'd a bally sight rather be in +your arms than in this trench with a dead German!" + +-------- + +I sat one evening smoking a cigar with a +Canadian Colonel who was much incensed at +the fact that he had served at Gallipoli where +he caught an infectious diarrhea of which he +nearly died, while in the meantime his other +officers who served no better than he were +decorated and promoted. + +"Manion," he said to me in an angry voice, +"I was promised that if I went to the Mediterranean +I would get promotion and any decoration +they could get for me, and the only d---- +thing I got was dysentery, and I wouldn't have +got that if my superior officers had had the +giving of it." + +-------- + +A rather good story with a touch of dry +humor provoked by a desire for justice is that +of the lonesome soldier. One of our Tommies +sent an advertisement to an English daily in +which he hinted, rather than said, that he was +a duty-loving Briton, honorably doing his bit, +and being without friends in the world he +would welcome a correspondence with some +English girl. He implied that, as the diet was +rough, a few comforts would not go amiss, +signing his advertisement, "H.H., a lonesome +soldier." He was rewarded by a mail large +enough for Horatio Bottomley, accompanied +by so many parcels that our mail department +had to add another man to its staff to handle +his portion. Instead of imitating the generosity +of these English girls, and sharing his +ill-gotten gains with his companions, he chose the +selfish part, keeping most of the good things +for himself, giving away only what he had no +possible use for. And what was still worse, +he started a correspondence with each of the +priceless young things who had offered him +their goods and their friendship. Had this +been a fair and square correspondence it might +have had nothing to condemn it. But though +uneducated, he was sly enough to suit his +letters to their recipients. To one he implied the +possibility of a strong attachment; to another +he was more reserved, speaking only of friendship; +while to a third he would send a warm, +date-making epistle, hinting at cozy hotels; +all according to what he thought their letters +to him showed him of their characters. + +This went on for some time, the lonesome +soldier writing many letters daily, all franked +by a kindly government, and all to be censored +by a group of H.Q. officers. The friendships +he had worked up were getting more friendly, +the intrigues deeper, and the passions warmer, +when Major E---- decided that in fairness to +the young women and in justice to the wily +Tommy he would put an end to this planning +and plotting. So, in censoring the letters +Major E---- saw that the warm, passionate +letter to "My Beloved Maisie" was, by mistake, +of course, put into the envelope of "Dear Miss +Jones;" Miss Jones' letter put into that of +"Darling Kiddo," and the latter's into "My +Own Emmey's," and so on. The result was a +rapid cessation of the letters and parcels to +the lonesome soldier, and the straightening out +of what otherwise might have been an +interminable tangle. To the really lonesome +soldier--and there are such--all consideration is +due, but to such a one as this may justice +arrive swiftly, as it did to him. + +Potash is a North American Indian. He +was chief of his tribe, is very intelligent, well +educated, and the best sharpshooter in his +battalion. His intelligence is proven by the fact +that he has never indulged in alcoholic drink, +nor has he in any other manner allowed his +close association with us whites of Canada to +deprave him. In other words, he is a living +refutation of the remark that the only good +Indian is a dead Indian. If it were not for +the copper tinge to his skin, one would take +him for what he is,--a well-informed, educated +North American. He is very proud of the +fact that Sir Wilfrid Laurier, when Premier +of Canada, presented to him and his bride at +their wedding a silver tea set. + +Being the only Indian in his battalion he is +treated with a good deal of consideration by +all. Colonel Blank stood chatting to him one +day, the center of a group of officers. + +"You are an Indian, Potash. Tell me why +it is that alcohol has such a bad effect upon +Indians in general." + +"You know, Sir," seriously replied Potash, +"that alcohol acts principally on the tissues of +the brain. And so, the Indians having more +brains than the whites, alcohol has a greater +effect on them." The colonel and Potash +joined in the general laugh. + +-------- + +Often shells do not explode, and Tommy +calls them "duds," but up to the declaration of +war by the United States in April last, these +duds often got the nickname, "American +shells--too proud to fight." + +-------- + +In the lines one often finds evidence of a +prejudice against officers of the staff--nicknamed +"Brass Hats" by the boys--this prejudice +being due to the fact that Tommy looks +upon staff jobs as being safety-first positions, +and that the man in the line thinks, rightly or +wrongly, that too many young fellows who +should be doing their bit under fire remain at +the rear through family pull or connection. +There is also the impression that many of the +staff only get under fire when they absolutely +have to. Of course this is a much exaggerated +idea, but that it exists is shown by the +following humorous conversation overheard in the +lines: + +"Say, Bill, did you hear that peace has been +declared?" + +"Naw; nothin' to it; hot air; no sich luck." + +"Sure it has. Didn't ye see those two Brass +Hats goin' along the trenches just now?" + +The Tommies call their helmets "tin hats," +and on a certain occasion one soldier was heard +to ask another if he thought a tin hat as safe +as a Brass Hat. + +Of course in a war such as that of today mistakes +are inevitable at times. Occasionally +battalions or companies are ordered to accomplish +the impossible. The Charge of the Light +Brigade has repeated itself more than once, and +the staff get the credit, or discredit, for these +mistakes. Sometimes it is the orders which +cause the wag of the company to speak of these +officers with his fine contempt. Everyone has +seen Bairnsfather's picture of a subaltern +under heavy fire in the front line, and at the same +time having to answer a telephone message as +to how many cans of apple jam had been sent +in the rations in the past week. It seemed, no +doubt, a ridiculous exaggeration, but is no more +ridiculous than an order which came through +one day to test out a certain rat poison, a +sample of which accompanied the order. The +battalion receiving this command was at the time +holding a very bad bit of line where the +Germans did much sniping and dropping over of +pineapples, rum jars, whizz bangs, and so +forth. The battalion was to test this poison +with particular reference to the following +points: + +1. Adequacy of eight tins per 1,000 yards +of trench. + +2. Amount of bait consumed. + +3. Number of sick or dead rats seen. + +4. Post-mortem examination of dead rats. + +5. As to diminution of rat population, +"staleness of rat holes might be taken as +corroborative evidence of diminution." + +Then followed three foolscap pages of typewritten +directions along this line. (Foolscap +in the foregoing is not intentionally sarcastic.) + +Do you wonder that the men made jokes? +Imagine, if you can, a battalion under very +heavy fire night and day trying to carry out +tests that might easily be carried out behind +the lines as to the efficiency of a rat poison. +Imagine a Medical Officer, while not attending +the wounded or sick, doing post-mortem +examinations of dead rats, or estimating "the +staleness of rat holes," with, perhaps, a +German sniper trying to get a bead on him! + +Of course such an order as this, written by +some theorist in a comfortable room two or +three hundred miles from the bursting shells, +would usually be stopped by the practical men +of the staff. When one has inadvertently +filtered through, as in this case, can those in the +lines be blamed for talking about foolkillers? +As is to be expected, the order was ignored +until the battalion some time later received a +reminder. They protested that this test was +surrounded by too many difficulties, and were told +to "try it on a small scale." + +The gruff voice of the Regimental Sergeant +Major said that he supposed they would send +up "some small scale rats to try it on." As +they were not forthcoming, that is as far as the +order got. + +But though Staff Officers are disliked +almost as much as Medical Officers, Tommy +must bear with them, even if it be with a poorly +disguised sneer of disgust and tolerance; for +an army without a staff would be as incredible +and undesirable as sick and wounded without +attention. No doubt, in spite of Tommy's +humor and banter, when the truth is told, both of +the above types perform their duties as ably +as they can according to their lights. + +-------- + +While dining with the officers of C Company +one evening, I heard two of that company's +likable young subalterns arguing as to +whether the rum ration, so popular with most +of the men out there on cold winter nights, +would, after the war, conduce to temperance in +the nation. The argument grew quite hot, as +it often did there, and one of the debaters stuck +his helmet on his head, and strode to the +entrance of the dugout where he turned and +clinched the argument with the sneering remark: + +"By gad, Smith, you know less about more +things than any other man I've ever met," then +made a victorious exit. + +And speaking of the rum ration, an old soldier +once told me that, being the oldest man in +his platoon, the serving out of the rum usually +fell to his lot, whereupon he always took from +his haversack a little tin vessel which held just +the right amount for each man, thus showing +his absolute fairness and impartiality. But, +as he poured the liquor into the little cup, he +kept his thumb on the inside, so that at the end +of serving some thirty or forty of his comrades +he had thirty or forty "thumbs" of the beverage +left as his portion--a form of humor, no +doubt, better appreciated by himself than it +would have been by the rest of his platoon, had +they known how absolutely (im-) partial he +always was, to himself. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +COURAGE--FEAR--COWARDICE + +Practically all men and most +women are brave when the occasion +requires it. Out there one sees many types of +brave men. There are few cases of cowardice +in the face of the enemy, though in all the +armies in this great conflict men have been shot +for this crime. Conscience may make cowards +of us all, but war makes brave men of most of +us. In this war the pampered few, as well as +those who earned their bread by the sweat of +their brow, have shown a courage unsurpassed +in the so-called chivalrous ages that are gone. + +Death-dealing instruments have been multiplied +and refined by the inventive resources of +our times till they have reached a stage of +perfection never even approached in the past. +Aeroplanes, zeppelins, artillery, various types +of trench mortars, mining, machine-guns, +poisonous gases, liquid fire, and the many other +means of killing and disabling our enemies +have rendered this war the most horrible and +terrifying in history. Yet it is rare at the front +to see officers or men exhibit cowardice. With +few exceptions all face death in its many forms +with a smile on their lips, bearing at the same +time indescribable hardships of mud, dirt, lice, +work and weather with unbeatable stoicism. +They are always ready to go forward with +their faces to the foe, an irresistible army of +citizen soldiers. The hardships are often more +trying than the dangers, yet it is always an +inspiration to hear gay peals of laughter at the +discomforts and hardships borne by men +accustomed to all the luxuries of comfortable +homes and beloved families. + +Just at dark on a zero-cold winter's +day our battalion arrived at some new frame +huts on the edge of a wood. The huts had just +been built; they knew not the meaning of +bunks, stoves, or other comforts. The gray +sky could be seen through many chinks in the +war-contract lumber, and the frozen earth +through cracks in the floor. After a cold +supper of bully beef, bread, and jam, there lay +down on the bare floor of the H.Q. hut to +sleep as best they could,--the colonel, a +criminal lawyer of Vancouver; the second in +command, a lumber dealer of Ottawa; an attached +major, a lawyer of the same place; the +adjutant, a broker of Montreal; the paymaster, a +banker of Kingston; the signal officer, a bank +clerk of Edmonton; the scout officer, son of a +well-known high court judge of Quebec; and +myself. Not a complaint was heard, but jokes +were bandied to and fro, and shortly the +regular breathing of some and the snoring of others +testified that man may quickly become +accustomed to strange surroundings. In the +morning the boots of all were frozen to the floor! + +Men are brave because of many motives. +When they are standing shoulder to shoulder +facing an enemy, few of them flinch, no +matter how dark the outlook is at the moment. +Their pride in themselves, their loyalty to their +native land, their love of their comrades, and +their hatred for the enemy combine to prevent +them from allowing fear to conquer them. +Fear, _per se_, is another matter. Practically +all men experience fear under fire at times, but +they grit their teeth and press on. The quality +that makes them do this is what we call +courage. Any man who could look into a hole in +the ground into which you could drop a small +house, and, knowing this hole was made by a +large caliber shell, yet feel no fear on going +through a barrage of such shells, is not a brave +man; he's an imbecile. As Kelly said: + +"A man that's not afeard o' thim shells has +more courage than sinse." + +But even outside of that natural fear of +shells there is no doubt that at certain moments +during the multitudinous dangers of war all +men really feel afraid. It cannot be avoided +if a man sets any value whatever upon his life; +999 out of 1,000 conquer that impulse to fly, +and carry on, the thousandth allows the +impulse to conquer him. He is thereafter +branded, "coward," unless he retrieves himself later. +Instinctively the brave man is recognized by +his fellowmen. In a dangerous advance there +are usually a few who drop behind, hide in a +shellhole or dugout till the danger passes or +lessens, and then rejoin their unit, claiming to +have been lost or stunned by a shell. In this +way they escape being accused of, and perhaps +shot for, desertion. It may be that these +men are more to be pitied than blamed. Self +preservation is the first law of nature, but it is +a physical law, and the moral law that man +must not be a coward overrules it. A few +hours after the advance over Vimy Ridge, my +corporal and I, while dressing wounded on the +field, met a number of stragglers, all going +toward the front lines. They gave various +excuses for being behind their companies, and +some no doubt told the truth, but it is also +certain that a few had shirked. + +There is a legitimate nervousness, named +"shell shock." The real cases of this condition, +when they are extreme, are sad to see. An +officer or Tommy, who has previously been an +excellent soldier, suddenly develops "nerves" +to such an extent as to be uncontrollable. He +trembles violently, his heart may be disorderly +in rhythm, he has a terrified air, the slightest +noise makes him jump and even occasionally +run at top speed to a supposed place of safety. +He is the personification of terror, at times +crying out or weeping like a child. He is +unfit for duty, and will require rest for an +extended time. Some cases are not so extreme +as this and may simply display sufficient +nervousness to prevent their going on. + +Shell shock is brought about by the effects +of severe shelling; by being buried by an +explosion of shell or mine; or by the killing beside +the sufferer of a companion. In short, these +cases are due to the subjection of the nervous +system to a strain which it is unable to +withstand, making it collapse instead of resiliency +rebounding. The extreme cases are pitiable to +observe, and are just as ill as if they were +suffering from insanity, or delirium tremens. It +is doubtful if the man who has suffered from +a severe attack of this malady is ever again fit +to serve in the firing line. Only time can tell +whether or not any permanent weakness will +be left in the nervous system as its result. +These are not cases of cowardice, though to a +superficial observer they might appear so. +Some of them six months later, after that full +period of rest and care, still show marked +tremor, a fast or irregular heart, are "jumpy" on +the slightest sharp sound, and are generally +unfit for service. + +It is interesting to study the psychology of +the coward, but it is more interesting and +infinitely more inspiring to study that of the +brave man. Brave men and courageous +women are so common, as this war has amply +proven, that we may find plenty of material for +this study. The women--God bless them, and +sustain them--have to show more courage than +the men; for they have to endure in patience +the life-sapping tedium of staying at home, +while their loved ones go into danger--and +perhaps to death. They have not, as their +men have, the variety of change, the interest +of novelty, or the excitement of battle to +sustain them and occupy their minds. Their duty +is to wait, wait, wait--praying and hoping that +a good and merciful God will spare _their_ loved +ones. Oh, you wives, and mothers, and +sweethearts, who wait, the world owes to you much +more of honor and thanks than it owes to the +men at the front! You, in your sublime +unselfishness, prefer to see your beloved +men-folks get the honors and praise, while you are +content and happy to accept the reflected +glory! + +Every country in the world believes that it +has the fairest women and the bravest men, +and, to make an Irishism, each is right in +believing it. It is only natural that each country +should have a national pride in the deeds of its +heroes, and this war will give to most countries +enough acts of bravery and of chivalry to +inspire their youth for a few generations. + +-------- + +Capt. Gammil was a handsome, dashing +chap whose love of fine clothes, bright colors, +silk pajamas--which he wore even in the lines, +while the rest of us slept in our uniforms, +according to orders--and immaculate cleanliness, +gained for him the sobriquet, Beau +Brummel. His farcical gayety was continuous, +and rarely did he appear serious, even +though a serious mien would have been more +appropriate. His extremes of style made him +a daily cause of humorous remarks on the +part of his comrades; and yet his courage was +unquestioned. I have seen him coolly walking +along, daintily smoking his special brand of +cigarette, apparently as much at ease as if he +were in his own smoking room, with the shells +at the same time bursting all about him. Good +stories were told of his careless fearlessness at +the Somme and elsewhere, as he carried out his +duties in tight corners with the _sang-froid_ of +a veteran. Here was a fellow one would take +to be the lightest of the light, a poseur, a +farceur, a dandy of the ladies, who could be as +gay and light in danger as in London. He is +the type of chap who was, no doubt, "a sissy" +in the opinion of his fellow-schoolboys, but is +in reality of the stuff that men are made. + +Major Billbower, an English bank-clerk +who had lived some years in Canada, was +rather the reverse of the above. He took life +more seriously, and hardly a day went by that +he did not put into the orderly room a +complaint, great or small, until he got the name, +"the grouser." Usually his complaints were +on behalf of his men whom he seemed to think +were always getting discriminated against by +someone. Because he was of the rather +extreme, unmixable, aristocratic type his men +respected him rather than loved him (though he +was a very likable chap to those who really +knew him) but they would unhesitatingly +follow him through hell-fire, for in danger his +handsomely-chiseled features wore a scornful +smile as he strode along, gayly swinging his +cane, with the same air that he had worn in +more peaceful days in Hyde Park. He had +been decorated for conspicuous bravery, and +well deserved it. On one occasion a large +caliber dud shell struck in the doorway of a +superficial dugout in which he was writing, and +rolled to his feet. Without more than a glance +at it, he coolly pushed it to one side with his +foot, and continued writing. + +Corporal Pare, a red-headed Irish boy, was +for a long time my sanitary corporal in the +lines and out. He had been serving in the +lines for sixteen months at the time of which +I write, and was tired of it. He frankly said +he was afraid to do certain things, but when +ordered to do them, he carried them out +cheerfully and smilingly. At the Somme he won +great praise as a runner for carrying messages +through heavy barrages, always appearing +terrified at the prospect, but always getting +through. Many a time inspecting the trenches +with me he would say, respectfully: "Those +pineapples are dropping in just ahead of us, +sir. Hadn't we better turn back?" Perhaps +to tease him, I would go on, telling him to +"come along." "Very good, sir," he would say +with a cheerful smile on his red face, and he +would trudge along like a faithful dog. He +was "homely" in looks, red-headed, not clever, +and said he was afraid, but no more faithful or +more dependable soldier ever went to the front +than Corporal Pare. + +Sergeant Gascrain was a small, shriveled, +sharp-tongued, five-foot-high, French +Canadian who assisted me for some time. He was +cynical as to the illnesses of the men, and +treated them usually like so many cattle, +believing them all to be malingerers, till one day +I reminded him that a man may often malinger, +but that did not prevent him from occasionally +getting sick. He apparently did not believe +it, though he often cursed the rheumatism that +afflicted his own joints. He said they all had +"frigidity of the feet, with a big F." He was +at times addicted to alcohol and every few +months he lost his stripes because of intoxication. +Then he would labor incessantly till, +by his good work, he won them back again. +And when he did regain them he was as proud +as if he had won his marshal's baton, until the +next occasion when the great god Bacchus put +him back to the ranks with one fell swoop. +With all his faults he had an absolute +disregard of danger. I sincerely believe that he +thought that if a shell should strike him--well, +so much the worse for the shell. At the Somme +his cool, courageous work under heavy shell +fire won for him, at the recommendation of a +British colonel who had observed it, the +military medal. But one deed he performed which +I think deserved more praise than any other. +While working on the field a Lieutenant +Colonel was brought to him on a stretcher. +The Lieutenant Colonel's wound was so slight +as to cause a sneer to hover about the sergeant's +lips as he dressed it. A stretcher squad +carried the colonel to the rear, and another squad, +under the sergeant's direction, carried a +badly-wounded Tommy. An ambulance came for +them. The sergeant had the soldier put in first +and then the colonel. But the colonel angrily +protested against the Tommy being allowed to +go in the same ambulance with him. + +"_Tres bien, monsieur_," replied the sergeant +in his quick, sharp tones, and turning to a +stretcher squad, said, "Remove the officer." It +was quickly done, the colonel staring in angry +astonishment, the sergeant coolly continuing +his work while the officer awaited the coming +of another ambulance. In my opinion this act +of an N.C.O. was worthy of a V.C. + +Major Peters.--This officer somehow +impressed me as being without any semblance of +nervousness under any conditions. He was +always an interesting study. If a shell burst in +our neighborhood, close enough to make most +of us "duck," Pete would go on serenely as +if on church parade. Rather slow thinking, +he was sure in judgment. He never made +haste to give his thoughts tongue, "nor any +unproportioned thought his act." He had a +quiet, dry humor, and generous, kindly nature. +He was invariably late on parade, and +probably improperly dressed. I have met him on +one occasion wandering aimlessly across an +area looking for his company, which he had +somehow mislaid. If the orderly room gave +out an order for some return to be made by +company commanders by 8 a.m., his was never +in before 10, and then only after he had been +reminded of the order. After the Battle of +Arras he forgot altogether to put in his +recommendations for bravery on the part of any of +his men, though by a rush movement he +succeeded in getting them in on time. + +But with all these faults he had the respect, +trust and confidence of everyone. He had +won the M.C. twice for coolness and bravery +in action. If the holding of the front line was +a particularly risky proposition at any time, +he would probably be the man in charge of the +task. He was never found wanting when cool, +courageous action was needed, and all knew +it. Many are the good tales told of him in his +early front line days. By night he would +quietly wander off over the parapet by +himself, and an hour or so later would come +strolling back, after having had a good look into the +German lines, and perhaps into some of their +dugouts. In his slow voice he would give any +valuable information, not wasting any words +in doing it. On one of these trips, as he +stepped back over the parapet he was met by a +senior officer who, knowing his junior's +characteristics, said,-- + +"Well, Pete, what have you found out this time?" + +Pete sat himself down on the firing step of +the trench and gave him all the information +that he had. Suddenly the senior noticed that +a pool of blood was collecting where Major +Peters sat. + +"Are you wounded?" he cried. + +"Well, yes," Peters answered slowly, "guess +they got me that time," and he rose and strolled +carelessly along to the R.A.P. where his +wounds were found to be serious enough to put +him out of action for a few weeks. The +Germans had thrown a bomb at him. + +The major loved dearly going into dangerous +zones, just wandering off to see what he +could see. After we had taken Vimy Ridge, +but not yet progressed beyond it, we had +outposts on the German side of it, looking down +on Vimy and other German positions, 400 or +500 yards away. A good deal of sniping was +going on against us, as our men were so much +exposed on the side of the hill, where they had +very little protection except an odd shellhole +or a few feet of shallow trench here and there. +Our battalion was holding this line, and I, on +the day Vimy village was taken, April 13th, +had occasion to make a hurried trip along this +whole front, At one spot, where a trench two +feet deep was the only protection from possible +sniping or shell fire, Major Peters stood, +leaning back against the parados, two-thirds of +his body exposed, hands in pockets, gazing +pensively across at the Vimy ruins. + +"What are you trying to do? Get your +bally head blown off?" I demanded. + +Without looking around, or otherwise changing +his position, he replied in his slow voice: + +"I don't think there's anyone there to blow +my head off." This shows his judgment, for +he was right, as it proved a little later when +our scout officer, followed by a single platoon, +entered it. But it showed also his carelessness +as to danger, for at the moment he was +only guessing, or surmising, that there was no +one in Vimy, and at any moment he might have +found it out to his sorrow. + +A few minutes after this the accidental +explosion of a Mills bomb killed one man, +wounded two officers severely, and six men +almost as severely, and I was kept busy for some +time attending to them. Having finished, I +found Major Peters near me, looking longingly +toward Vimy, into the ruins of which +our scout officer, Lieutenant A----; our +O.C. battalion, Major E----; and a platoon in +charge of ever-smiling Lieutenant G---- had +all disappeared. Major Peters was apparently +impatient to go across, though he had no right +to do so without orders. Leaving the wounded +to be evacuated by my always trustworthy and +fearless assistants, Corporal H---- and Private +B----, M.M., and their stretcher bearers, +I joined him. Though I had even less right +to go across than he, we dared each other to +go, and off we went. An odd shell was falling +about and it was quite characteristic for +Pete to remark, slowly and seriously,-- + +"I don't mind dodging shells, but I do hate +dodging that damned orderly room of ours." + +But he was as joyously gay as if he were a +schoolboy going on some forbidden picnic. + +Without encountering a Boche we leisurely +strolled through the ruined and deserted +streets, passing here and there a dead German, +and one Canadian who must have got lost, and +been killed while looking for his own lines. +On the main road was a wagon of heavy shells +with its wheels interlocked with those of +another wagon--both apparently deserted in a +hurry by the fleeing Germans, for an officer's +complete kit lay beside them. We passed the +station and went on out 500 yards to where +our platoon was "digging in." We joined +them, and then wandered on for one hundred +yards into what was to be the new No Man's +Land, without ever having encountered a +German. They had deserted the village by dark, +and had not left even the proverbial corporal's +guard behind. Guided by the major through +the streets which were now in the shadows of +evening we unerringly found our way back +whence we had come, for he had the path-finding +instincts of the North American Indian. +On arrival we found that, while my absence +had been unnoticed, poor Pete's had been, and +for some minutes in the orderly room he was +in hot water explaining matters. His +explanations ended, as they usually did, by +being unsatisfactory, and our strict disciplinarian +adjutant, Major P----, turned aside to +hide a smile, and murmur,-- + +"Poor Pete! Always in trouble." No +matter what breach he ever made in the rules, +Peters was always forgiven, for his sterling +worth was too well known to allow anyone in +authority to hold anger against him. + +One of the best stories told of him is so droll, +and yet so typical, that it is worth repeating: +He was attending a course of instruction with +a number of other officers on measures to be +taken during a gas attack. The gas expert +had shown carefully how the gas masks should +be put on quickly and correctly, and the +officers were applying them. They were +instructed to take off the masks, and to see which +of them could have his on in the shortest time. +To the surprise of all present the slow-moving +major had his mask on before any of the +others. On inquiring of him how it happened, +he admitted with that humorous dry smile of +his that he had not bothered taking his mask +off after the first trial. + + +CAPT. J. A. CULLUM, C.A.M.C. + +Some twelve years ago when I was studying +in Edinburgh, at Scotland's famous +university, I occupied rooms at the apartment +house of a bonnie little Scotch woman on +Marchmont Road. Miss Anderson was a +mother to us all. How well I remember her +smiling, sweet face, above which her white hair +made an appropriate halo, as she came in to +do for us some kindly, thoughtful act. May +she still be in the land of the living and happy! + +In the next suite of rooms lived Jack Cullum +of Regina, Canada, and for the last month +before examinations, the regular lessees of his +rooms having returned, he and I occupied the +same suite. He was a square-jawed, +firm-mouthed, good-looking chap, with a strong arm +and leg, made strong by breaking bronchos +on the western Canadian ranch where he grew +to manhood and prosperity. He was blunt, +almost to a fault, but his word was good, his +mind fair, and his manners sociable. Other +Canadians who were post-graduating there at +the same time will remember many a gay +evening we passed in the old R.B. on Princes +Street, that most magnificent thoroughfare in +Scotland, with the old Castle which saw many +of the happy and unhappy hours of poor Mary +Queen of Scots as a background, Calton Hill +and its unfinished Grecian architecture at one +end, and that fine Gothic monument to Sir +Walter Scott in the center. In all these jolly +evenings dear old Cullum was foremost in +pay-times and gay-times. + +In serious moments and in times of leisure, +however, his mind often carried him back in +happy reminiscence to his homeland where a +pretty Canadian girl, whose photo he carried +and often showed, was anticipating his return. + +When the war came Jack was among the +first to come forward. He went across to +France with a Western Canadian battalion. +In the next year Cullum was decorated for +conspicuous gallantry three times, twice by the +King and once by the French Government +with the Croix de Guerre. His first act of +bravery was performed when the Huns blew +up a mine in No Man's Land, injuring many +of his battalion. He, heedless of danger--and +orders--rushed over the top, and attended +his men in plain view of the enemy. For this +he was given the Military Cross by King +George; and a bar to the M.C. and the French +decoration came later for acts of almost +reckless courage. He was the first Canadian to +win three decorations, and now he was thought +to bear a charmed life by his comrades. Shortly +after the last bit of ribbon came to him he +applied for transfer to the fighting forces, +resigning his commission in the medical corps, to +accept a lower rank in the infantry. And just +following this noble act, while sitting in a mess +hut two miles behind the lines at Noulette +Wood, a stray shell came through the roof, +slightly injuring two other officers, and +mortally wounding Cullum. His generous soul +displayed itself to the last, for he absolutely +refused to have his wounds dressed until after +the others had been attended to, maintaining +that his injuries were slight. And the gallant +Cullum died in the ambulance on his way to +the hospital. + +But of course they are not all the fine types. +You occasionally meet what the English call +a rotter, but his kind is exceedingly scarce. +After all, the finest type is the ordinary +common soldier, without any special qualifications, +who, day in and day out, night in and night +out, performs the dirty, rough, hard, monotonous, +and often very dangerous, tasks of the +Tommy; who does his duty, grumbling perhaps, +swearing often, but does it without +cowardice, without hope of honor or emolument, +except the honor of doing his duty and doing +it like a man. When his work is done he comes +back, if still alive and well, to sleep in wet +clothes, on a mud floor, under a leaky roof or +no roof, often hungry, or his appetite satisfied +by bully beef and biscuit. + +Yes; with all his swearing, despite any +lead-swinging, the finest type of all, the real hero +of the war, is the ordinary common soldier! + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +AIR FIGHTING + +Up to the present the greatest aid given +by the air service to any of the armies +in this war is that of acting as scouts; or, in +other words, the air service supplies the eyes +of the army and navy. + +Much is said of the time when thousands of +planes will be used as offensive weapons on a +large scale. It is quite possible that in the +future this will come to pass; but up to the +present, spasmodic bombardments of fortified +positions by a few planes, and the useless +murder of non-combatants by German zeppelins, +has been the limit of the attacking power of +air fleets. There are spectacular fights in the +air between airmen of the opposing sides; and, +when one considers the limited perspective of a +man living in a seven-foot ditch, the monotony +of such a life, and man's natural love of +competition, one can easily understand the deep +interest taken in these air duels by the men in +the trenches. + +One sometimes sees six or seven battles in +the heavens in one afternoon, and another +dozen machines driven back by shells from our +anti-aircraft guns. Tennyson's prophetic +words, written long ago in Locksley Hall, are +indeed fulfilled:-- + + For I dipped into the future, far as human eye could see, + Saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be; + Saw the heavens fill with commerce, argosies of magic sails, + Pilots of the purple twilight, dropping down with costly bales; + Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rained + a ghastly dew + From the nations' airy navies grappling in the central blue; + + +Let us hope that after this war for liberty +and freedom has ended in the subjugation of +militarism, his further prophecy in regard to +"the Parliament of man, the Federation of the +world" may also come true. + +When airmen fly over their opponent's lines, +they are first met by shells from anti-aircraft +guns and bullets from machine-guns, and +between the two they are often forced to return +to their own side of the lines. It is a beautiful +picture, on a clear day, to see these machines, +swerving this way and that, diving, ascending, +out of the path of this rain of shot and shell +that greets them, though it rarely brings them +down. The swaying machine, cutting its way +through the hundreds of white and black puffy +balls, caused by the bursting shells, is a sight +for gods and men; and the men, at least, never +tire of watching it. + +A very amusing incident, in this connection, +is told by the officers of a certain Canadian +battalion of infantry. Their original Lieutenant +Colonel, now a General, came of a well-known +and able, though rather egotistical and +bombastic Canadian family. When in the +trenches this Lieutenant Colonel always +insisted on being accompanied by his batman or +a special runner whose duty it was to carry a +Ross rifle ready loaded. When he saw a +German plane soaring over No Man's Land toward +him, anywhere from ten thousand to fifteen +thousand feet in the air, he would cry:-- + +"Quick, give me that rifle!" and, putting it +to his shoulder, he would pump shot after shot +in the direction of the distant airman. If the +latter chanced to go back from whence he came, +the Lieutenant Colonel would turn to those +about him with a satisfied and triumphant smile +of self-approbation:-- + +"Ah, I've turned him back," he would say. + +When he learned, as he occasionally did, that +he had been filling the sky with lead in a +mistaken effort to hit one of our own machines, +it worried him not at all, for the knowledge +he had that he had "turned back" hundreds of +Hun planes prevented an occasional slight +mistake from damping the ardor of a spirit such +as his. + +When the war is over he may rest assured, +as he no doubt will, that no Canadian, no +Britisher, yes, it might even be written, no +man, had done more in this great war to +accomplish the defeat of the Hun than he! + +Very often, while you are looking up at a +shelled aeroplane, the bits of shrapnel and +shell are heard thudding into the earth +all about. On one occasion my commanding +officer and I lay on the ground in a shower +of this kind, while a short distance away a +soldier of another battalion was severely +wounded by a piece of shell casing. It is +strange that more men are not hit in this +manner, and the same remark may be made of the +few who are wounded in proportion to the +number of shells poured over in an ordinary +bombardment. + +A young airman described his work to me +as "much monotony, and a few damned bad +frights"; and this may be taken as a description +of almost any branch of the service at the +front. The phrase, "a young airman," is very +appropriate in speaking of most of our heroes +of the air, for they are often only boys of +nineteen or twenty years of age who, with the +recklessness of youth, but the courage of +veterans, risk their valuable young lives in +dangerous reconnaissances or in battling with the +enemy a mile or two in the air. Strange that +buoyant, happy young fellows like these, with +all their lives before them, should value the +future less than those who have lived more than +half of theirs. But this is the case; and it is +stated, truly, that the steadiness of nerve of +these heroic youngsters surpasses that of older +men. + +One day we relieved the ---- battalion in +the lines, and as the trenches were veritable +mudholes, Major P---- and I took to the +fields and crossed overland to our rear lines, +passing through our long line of Howitzers +and field guns on the way. As our batteries +were just about to open a heavy strafe on the +enemy, to find out the strength of their +artillery on this front, we sat on the edge of a +shellhole to smoke a cigarette and watch the +effect of the bombardment. The batteries +near us had eight or ten men to each gun, using +a small derrick to carry into the dark breech +of the gun the heavy shell. This was pushed +home, and behind it was shoved in the charge +of guncotton. Then the metal door--for all +the world like the door of a small safe--was +closed and bolted. The range having been +given from a row of figures called across by an +artillery lieutenant with field glasses, the gun +was brought to the proper level by one man +turning a wheel, while another, gazing through +a clinometer, told when the proper range was +attained. Another man pulled a string, the +gun belched forth its death-dealing load, and +we watched the shell bursting a mile or two +away over the German lines, with a flash, a +great upheaval of earth, and a cloud of smoke +high in the air. + +Presently to our right we heard a machine-gun +playing its rat-a-tat-tat. Looking up we +saw one of our own planes spitting its stream +of fire at a large, red, German flyer that had +been doing much damage to our machines on +this front for some weeks. The Hun plane +was above, thus having the advantage. +Suddenly his machine made a nose-dive downward, +like a hawk swooping down on its prey, and as +the German had speed very much in his favor, +he quickly arrived at the position he desired. +His machine-gun poured forth bullets, and to +our horror we saw that the tail of our aeroplane +was cut cleanly off by them, as though by a +huge sword. The machine, having no guiding +rudder, immediately turned nose downward, +and we sighed sadly and felt sick at heart as +we thought of the gallant young chaps falling +rapidly to their death. + +It is always with a sinking feeling that you +watch one of your own machines brought down. +You can't be entirely without pity even for the +enemy under the same conditions. For when +a man dies in a charge, or even when he is +mortally hit by a sniper's bullet or by a shell, +he is either killed instantly, or he is brought +back on a stretcher with hopes of recovery. But +when an aviator is ten thousand feet in the air, +carrying on a duel with a foe, it is often only +his machine that is disabled, and while it noses +down the long ten thousand feet, though it is +only a matter of moments, he has time to realize +that death is about to conquer him, and not in +a pleasant manner. + +Just before our unfortunate machine in this +fight crashed into the earth one of the +occupants fell or jumped from it. The other +remained in his seat, facing his quickly-coming +death with the same courage that made him +take the chance. The tail of the machine, +being the lighter, came down more slowly and +struck the earth not far behind the body to +which it had been attached. + +In the meantime the German soared +triumphantly above, but now he circled down, +sailing close to the earth over his fallen +opponents, apparently to see the result of his work. +Then he soared aloft again, as all about him are +fleecy white clouds or puffs of smoke from the +explosions of shells from our anti-aircraft guns +in the neighborhood. They burst everywhere +except in his quickly-changing path, and he +sailed back over his own lines in safety. + +Stretcher bearers hurried forward from a +nearby field ambulance dressing station to find +that the man who had fallen from the machine +was still alive, though probably fatally injured. +He was hurried off to receive attention. The +other was beneath the machine and beyond +human aid. As the smashed machine was in +plain view of the Germans it might at any +moment become the target of their artillery, +and the stretcher bearers here, as in all their +work, showed an absolute disregard of personal +danger. All honor to them! One-half hour +later, being nearby with my corporal, we +crossed over to the ruined aeroplane. Already +the Royal Flying Corps had a guard on it to +save it from souvenir hunters, and we were +warned away, but were later allowed to go +around it, and had a good view at close hand +of its tangled mass of wires, machinery, and +armament. There, with his youthful face +looking up toward his Maker, lay the other +occupant of the plane. Shortly his loved ones at +home would receive the sad intelligence of the +untimely, but honorable and courageous, death +of this boy who gave up the life he was to +live, the sons he was to father--"his +immortality," to use the words of Rupert Brook--in +order to do his share in holding aloft the +lamp of liberty and freedom. + +Sometimes it is difficult to say who has command +of the air at a certain section of the line. +This big red plane, and a few others of its +type, seemed to be speedier than any of ours +on this front; but just as we have gradually +surpassed the German in artillery, in the +morale of our men, in control of No Man's Land, +and in general offensive power, it was only a +matter of a short time till we again took +control of the air on this front, as we have on +others. + +The control of the air depends in great part, +not on the courage of the aviators, but on the +efficiency of their machines. Two days later +I saw this red plane, or one of its type, +daringly fly over our lines, and only about 300 feet +above them--an exceedingly low flight over +enemy lines. A scouting plane of ours, much +inferior in speed and fighting power, but manned +by some brave boy who cared not for his life +so long as he did his duty, flew straight at the +red machine. + +We watched in strained silence, while they +circled about each other, their machine-guns +spitting fire, and once they nearly collided, +head on. The Hun decided to retreat, and +flew back over his own lines; and our man, or +boy, sailed away in another direction to +continue the observation work he had been doing +when the Hun came. Had our boy lost, his +would have been just another name added to +the long list of heroes of the Royal Flying +Corps; for his act, in risking his life in +attacking a much speedier and more dangerous +machine than his own, was the act of a noble, +courageous, fearless boy, well worthy of all +praise, and of the finest decoration. Had he +succeeded in downing his enemy, luck would +have been on his side, for success in fighting in +the air, as in ordinary life, often depends on +chance. + +Besides the courage displayed by the youthful +members of the air service, they and their +German enemy-rivals usually display toward +each other a chivalry perhaps not equalled in +any other branch of the army. It is partly +due, no doubt, to the fact that the men who go +into the air service, outside of their courage, +are naturally lovers of the picturesque and +spectacular. It is also due to the unconscious +admiration one brave man has for another; the +pity which he must feel for a fellowman whom +he may shoot to his death ten thousand feet in +the air; and finally, the knowledge that it is +only a matter of time, if he remains in the +service, till he meets a superior machine, if +not a braver man, who may give him the same +fate. This feeling does not prevent them +fighting most fiercely, for each knows that while to +the winner may come rewards and decorations, +to the loser comes almost certain death. But +if by chance they both escape through poor +firing, exhaustion of ammunition, or that great +element, chance, there is little or no personal +hatred, but rather admiration for a brave foe. + +The greatest of British airmen, the late +Captain Ball, V.C., D.S.O., told of a contest +in which he and a German both exhausted +their machine-gun ammunition without serious +injury to either; and then, after having done +their best to kill each other, they sailed along +side by side, laughing one at the other, till they +parted company with a friendly wave of the +hand to return to their own lines. + +It was not uncommon, in the early part of +the war, when one of our men was brought +down behind the German lines, for the Germans +on the following day to fly over our lines +and to drop a note telling us that Lieutenant +Blank had been killed in a fight on the previous +day, and had been buried behind their trenches +with all military honors. Needless to say our +airmen displayed the same courtesy toward +their opponents. The knowledge thus given +often saved that depressing uncertainty on the +part of the missing hero's relations and friends, +which is more disheartening than the knowledge +of his death. + +Personal bravery is not the monopoly of any +one nation. The airmen of our brave French, +Belgian, Italian, or Russian allies require no +praise from my feeble pen; and those of us who +have been out there have seen too many +incidents of the courage of our enemies to belittle +them, and we have no desire to do so. They +have often been barbarous in their uncalled-for +cruelties and outrageous in their acts, but they +have been sometimes brave, careless of death, +and chivalrous. + +On one occasion I saw a German airman fly +so low over our lines from the front to the rear +that we could see him leaning out over the side +and looking down at us in the trenches. Some +companies of infantry in the front lines raised +their rifles and peppered away at him. But he +carelessly flew on toward the rear where a +company of pioneers were digging trenches; +and so struck were they at this reckless trick +that they pulled off their helmets, and +swinging them in the air, they cheered him. +Another instance of British--Canadian in this +case--love of any brave act! + +The annals of our British air service are so +crowded with tales of heroic deeds that they +seem almost to dwarf the heroism shown in +the infantry, artillery, or naval branches of our +forces. Many stories worthy of the classic +heroes are yet untold of boys twenty-one or +twenty-two years old who grappled with their +enemies in the clouds with the same undaunted +fearlessness displayed by Horatius at the +bridge in the brave days of old. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +STAFF OFFICERS + +Now, the ordinary combatant officer who +perhaps will read these lines may expect +a diatribe against what the boys call, "the +brass-hats," but, if so, he will be grievously +disappointed. Outside the fact that Staff Officers, +like Medical Officers, are a necessary evil, +the writer has the vivid recollection of one +occasion on which he might have been +court-martialed, and perhaps shot, for _lèse majesté_, +or something akin to it, but for the good humor +of a well-known Brigadier General. So there +will be no scathing denunciation of Staff Officers here. + +At noon I was sitting in a dugout in the +lines when I received an order to immediately +relieve Captain ----, of the --steenth Canadian +Battalion. The order gave no information +as to the whereabouts of this Battalion, +and as it turned out the order had been wrongly +transmitted, and I had been directed to go to a +Battalion which was not on our front. However, +I did not know this at the time, and so, I +quickly got my things together, hung my steel +hat, my cap, haversack, pack, overcoat, stick, +and other odds and ends on various parts of +my person,--for an officer, like a private, +seems to be made to hang things upon. + +To get out of the lines to where I was to be +met by an ambulance was a long, hard trudge. +The ambulance was over one hour late, and +hours followed in which we searched everywhere +to find a trace of the Battalion. Night came on +and we were still searching, and as no food +had accompanied us, and a mixture of snow +and rain was falling, I was cold, wet, hungry +and pugnacious, when I entered a Headquarters +in order to try to get some information. +Forgetting I was only a Captain, and stalking +angrily in, I demanded:-- + +"Where the hell is the --steenth Battalion?" An +officer rose, came forward and +smilingly asked me what the trouble was. + +"I have been hunting for hours," I replied +hotly, not even looking for his rank, "searching +for this bally Battalion, and I'm fed up to +the neck with being pushed around like a +basket of fruit," for I had had many moves recently. + +"And a pretty healthy looking basket of +fruit you are, too," he returned with a +good-humored laugh, while he proceeded to put me +on the right track, and at last I noted his rank. +He was the General of my Brigade. So now +you have the reason that I will say nothing +against Staff Officers. + +A story akin to this of an incident that +happened in one of our trenches may be worth +relating, though it has nothing to do with Staff +Officers. My Colonel who always, even in his +busiest times, had a vivid sense of humor, was +sitting in his dugout when a Tommy's voice +yelled down:-- + +"Say, Bub, how do we get to the Vistula +railhead from here?" The Colonel's voice +floated up giving directions. But the Tommy, +thinking he was talking to another Private, +said:-- + +"Oh, say, Bub, don't be so damned lazy, +come up and show us the way," and the +consternation of the Tommy as the Colonel +good-naturedly came up and showed him the way +was good to look at. + +On a drizzling, rainy day when our Battalion +occupied the front lines on part of the +Vimy Ridge, I was standing in front of a +so-called dugout, which consisted of a room about +twelve feet by twelve, in which, through lack of +space, two Medical Officers and their four +Assistants and two batmen, ate, slept, and +attended the wounded and sick. We were +sheltered from shells by a tin roof, on which +someone had piled two layers of sandbags. + +The trenches were of sand with no revetments +of any kind, so that the rain, which had +been pouring for days, washed the earth down +and formed mud to the knees. Sometimes the +mud was rich and creamy, and, except for the +fact that whoever happened to be in front of +you spattered it in your face, it was easy to get +through. The other variety of mud was mucilaginous +and tenacious, and in getting through +it one was very likely to lose his +boots--particularly if they were the long rubber +kind--and socks, or to get stuck fast. There were +many cases where men had to be dug or pulled +out; and not one but many men, and on one +occasion an officer, came into this dugout of +mine during the night in their bare feet. They +had come for hundreds of yards in some cases +in this manner. + +On the day of which I speak I was standing +in the creamy mud half way to my knees +listening to the sharp crack made by bullets +whizzing over head, and to the singing of shells, +by way of a change from the rather poisonous +atmosphere in the dugout, made offensive by +the carbon monoxide from a charcoal fire, when +I heard someone splashing along through the +mud. + +Looking up, I saw three Staff Officers with +the distinguishing red bands on their caps, for +they were not wearing helmets. Two of them +wore raincoats, so that their rank could not +be seen; the third wore no overcoat, but an +ordinary officer's uniform with ankle boots and +puttees. He strode doggedly behind the +others, apparently caring nothing for mud or +rain, and to my surprise he had upon his +breast, though he looked no more than twenty +years of age, the ribbons of a number of decorations. + +They stopped just before they came to +where I was. Taking out a map of these +trenches they and their guide, or runner, +began studying it, while I stood wondering how +a boy of twenty could have won these coveted +decorations, finally deciding that he must be +in the Air Service. While I was still +wondering he turned to me, and, though he was of +my own rank, he saluted and, with a pleasant +smile, asked me if I could give them any +information as to this front. I joined them, and +for some time I answered their questions, +which, rather strangely, were in regard to a +cemetery to which Guillemot trench--the one +in which we stood--led on its way to the firing +line 500 yards away. + +"After we go there," asked one of the older +officers, "what is the easiest way out?" + +I explained that the easiest way was overland +to Neuville St. Vaast, and then down the +road, but as we still heard the bullets passing +a few feet above the parapet it might not +be the safest. He smiled whimsically, and +said he would personally rather take the risk +than plow through this dreadful mud, but +perhaps they'd better stick to the trenches. We +chatted a few moments more, and they put +their feet once again to the task of getting them +through the trenches, the rather thin legs of +the young officer pushing him determinedly +along behind the others. + +That evening the Colonel informed me that +he had learned at Brigade that my questioner +of the afternoon was the Prince of Wales, +who is Honorary Chairman of a Commission +in charge of British cemeteries in France. And +this removes, for me at least, the idea which +many of us had that, while the Prince is in +France, he is kept well out of the danger zone. +For on this day he was well up toward the +front lines and under filthy trench conditions +at that. A Prince with as much red blood in +his veins as he displayed in making that +journey should not have enough blue blood to +prevent his being some day a strong and righteous +monarch. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +THE BATTLE OF VIMY RIDGE + +On Easter Monday, April 9, 1917, +occurred on the western front the great +push which has been named by the press the +Battle of Arras. For some days previously our +bombardment of the enemy lines had been +almost continuous, the so-called "drum fire" +which sounded like rolls of thunder. At times +during the night the rumble would become a +roar, and one of my tent mates would half +awaken, and say: + +"Well, they're giving poor Heiny hell +tonight," and the tone would almost imply pity. +A grunt from the rest of us, and then we'd +roll over on our steel-hard cots to try +unsuccessfully to find a soft spot, and shortly the +snores from one of the officers who was +notorious for snoring would drown even the roll of +the guns. + +Since the Somme advance in 1916 no great +pushback of the Germans had occurred. After +all the many and great preparations had been +completed, an attack was now to be made on +a ten-mile front north and south of the ruined +city of Arras by British and Canadian troops. +To the Canadians fell the lot of taking the +famous Vimy Ridge which they, with the +absolutely necessary assistance of almost +unlimited artillery, successfully took, consolidated, +and held, on Easter Monday, April 9. + +The argument which sometimes occurs as to +whether the artillery or infantry did the +greater work in the taking of the Ridge is beside +the question; one was as necessary as the +other. The artillery could have hammered the +Ridge until it became absolutely uninhabitable +by the enemy, but the artillery could not +consolidate and hold the Ridge, which could be +done only by foot-soldiers. Without the proper +aid being given by artillery, no foot soldiers +in the world, be they ever so valorous, could +have taken this strongly fortified hill. + +The taking of this Ridge was considered a +most difficult achievement for the reason that +the French in 1915 nearly captured it, but with +losses estimated unofficially at from 150,000 to +200,000 men. Anyone who has been in this +neighborhood and has seen the areas dotted +with equipment and bones of killed French +soldiers, and the trenches marked at almost +every turn by little white wooden crosses, +"Erected to an unknown French soldier," by +their British allies, could hardly doubt these +figures. Then the Allies, after holding the +conquered part of the Ridge for some months, +were pushed off it by the Germans, who +successfully held it till the Battle of Arras. + +Before this battle it was said that French and +British were betting odds that the Canadians +would not succeed in this project of taking the +Ridge. These facts are not given in any spirit +of rivalry or criticism, but only as points of +interest and to give honor where honor is due. +The Canadians certainly can never complain +that they were denied their proper meed of +praise by the British press and public for their +work at Vimy, but neither can it be gainsaid +that they deserved the praise accorded. + +The advance was to have taken place much +sooner, but preparations were not complete. +Easter Sunday, then Easter Monday became +the day decided upon, and 5.30 a.m. of that +day was to be the zero hour, or hour of attack. + +Promptly at that hour the wonderfully +heavy artillery barrage multiplied one +hundredfold. Three minutes later the +soldiers began going over the top and following +the barrage. So complete were the arrangements, +and so successful every move, that +objectives were taken almost to the minute as +planned, and returns coming in to Brigade +H.Q. on the immediate front on which our +battalion attacked were as optimistic as could be +hoped for by the most critical. + +A little over one hour after the first wave +of Canadians started across No Man's Land, +our O.C., Lieutenant Colonel J----, with an +orderly room staff, signalers and scouts, +started for the German lines to open a battalion +H.Q. at Ulmer House dugout, about 600 +yards behind the trenches which two hours +before this had been the enemy front line. I +accompanied the party, for I was to establish +a Regimental Aid Post somewhere near the H.Q. + +When we stepped out of the tunnel which led +from Zivy cave to the center of No Man's Land, +we had the misfortune to arrive in a sap--a +trench leading toward the Hun lines--which +sap at the moment of our arrival was being +very heavily shelled by German artillery. As +the sides of the sap were no more than two or +three feet in height, and as the shells were +dropping so close that we were continually in +showers of mud from them, our party became +broken up, leaving the Colonel and five of us +together. + +Some two hundred yards on our way +we stopped to rest. The Colonel and I were +sitting behind a small parapet, our bodies +touching, when a shell dropped beside him, +pieces of it wounding him in five or six places. +He pluckily insisted on going on toward our +goal, but soon fell from exhaustion. The +problem then was to get him back in safety, for +there had been no cessation in the shelling. +Fortunately this was accomplished with no +other casualties, with great pluck on the +Colonel's part, and some slight assistance on the +part of his companions. + +Major P----, M.C., then took charge, and +with most of the original party set out for +Ulmer House. Our route this time was +slightly altered by dodging the unlucky sap and +going directly overland. Stepping around +shellholes and keeping well away from a tank +stuck in a mud hole to our right, in order to +avoid the numerous shells that the Germans +were pouring about it, we proceeded on our +trip through the German barrage, which was +somewhat scattered now. + +In passing it may be said that on this +immediate front, because of the depth of the mud, +the only assistance given by the five or six tanks +to the troops was that of drawing and localizing +the enemy fire to a certain extent, and so +marking out areas of danger that it were well to +avoid. None of them got even as far as our +first objective, but remained stuck in the thick +mud till they were dug out by hand. On hard +ground they are no doubt dangerous weapons +of war, but in this deep mud their only danger +was to their occupants and to those about them. + +Our trip across this time was not particularly +eventful. Veering this way and that to avoid +the most heavily shelled bits of ground, +stepping over corpses of Germans, or, what was +more trying, of our own Canadian boys, +saying a word of comfort to some poor wounded +chaps in shellholes, we gradually and successfully +made our way across the shell-devastated +and conquered territory to Ulmer House. We +suffered only two slight casualties, a wounded +hand to the assistant adjutant, Lieutenant +C----, and a bruised chest to the signaling +officer, Captain G----. + +A couple of hours later the shelling had +ceased so completely that it was comparatively +safe for anyone to wander about the +field which had so recently been the scene +of one of the greatest battles in history. Here +and there, in shellholes marked by a bit of rag +tied to a stick, we found many of our own boys +and the boys of other Canadian battalions who +needed attention. Stretcher parties were made +up, generally of German prisoners, and the +wounded were cleared with all possible speed. + +One poor young chap we discovered late in +the afternoon in an advanced shellhole, with +his leg badly wounded and broken, he having +lain there from 6.15 in the morning. Yet he +smiled good-humoredly and thanked us gratefully +for what we did, asking only for a cigarette +after we fixed him up. Field ambulance +stretcher bearers and German prisoners under +Captain K----, M.C., of No. -- Canadian +Field Ambulance, worked tremendously to +clear the field. Other working parties were +encountered at different points, all with the same +object. + +In our rounds we visited all that remained +of Thelus and saw some of the many captured +guns. One of the most interesting visits +we made was to a cave at Les Tilleuls, near +Thelus, which was being used as H.Q. for +another battalion as well as H.Q. for C +Company of our own. Here Lieutenant J---- +greeted us warmly but failed to tell us the +details of his own exploit, which has acquired a +fame it well deserves and for which he received +the Military Cross. Here is the story: + +Lieutenant J---- was second in command +of C Company, the C.O. being "Old Pop," +who was killed early in the fight, the command +of the company devolving upon his subordinate. +He is a boy of twenty-two, a bank clerk in +civil life, as mild, gentle and good natured a +lad as one could find in a day's march. He +had led his men on till they obtained their +objective, and then he and a corporal who were +scouting about came to this cave with its long, +winding staircase. They threw down a couple +of Mills bombs, drew their revolvers, and went +down, to be confronted in flickering candle +light by one hundred and five German officers +and men, all armed. + +Bluffing that they had a large force +upstairs, they covered and disarmed the 105 +Germans, took them prisoners, and, hunting +up an escort for them, sent them to the rear. +Those are the cold, bare, undecorated facts. +And then to complete as pretty a bit of work +as was done at Vimy Ridge, Lieutenant J---- +took a German carrier pigeon that he found in +the cave, tied to its leg a message giving the +necessary essentials, and finishing with the +words, "everything bright and cheery," he +freed it. It found its way to our battalion +H.Q. at Ulmer House, where we had the +pleasure of reading the note! + +To stand at the mouth of this cave and look +about on all sides as far as the eye could see, +and to know that all that shell-racked ground +was won in a few hours by the citizen army of +Canada made one feel a legitimate pride in +being a native of that land. And the stories +which kept dribbling in for days, as we held +the line, of the gallantry of this man or the +nobly inspiring death of that one, were of +deep interest to us all. + +Of our own battalion we lost on the 9th, 217 +men out of a total of 657, and ten officers--not +counting two who were slightly wounded--out +of twenty-two of us. Three of our officers +were killed outright: "Old Pop;" Lieutenant +Beechraft, an American lawyer from Michigan, +who often said to me with a confident +smile: "The Germans have not yet made a +shell to get me." And he was right, poor Tom, +for I saw him lying dead that day on the field +with a German rifle bullet wound in his head. +The third of our officers killed was Major +Hutchins, a man well past fifty, who had +recently joined us and who had taken a +Lieutenant's position of platoon commander in +order to serve at the front. This was his first +fight, and he was killed by a shell while leading +his platoon across No Man's Land. All honor +to his gray hairs, and may they ever be an +inspiration to younger men! + +One of the best stories of this battle +concerned a Canadian Brigade on our left under +the command of Brigadier General H----. +This brigade on April 9 took all its objectives +except one very difficult hill, No. 140, +nicknamed, because of its shape, the Pimple. The +General of the division sent word to Brigadier +General H---- that he was going to send in +some British troops to aid him in capturing this +hill. Brigadier General H---- is a bonnie +fighter, an Anglo-Indian who has been living +some years in British Columbia, and he has +a temper much resembling an Irish terrier's. +He curtly sent back word that his Canadians +needed no assistance. Knowing him well, the +General of division good-naturedly replied +that if General H---- succeeded in taking this +difficult hill they would give him the title Lord +Pimple. The next day the division received +the following message: + + +Have taken, am consolidating, and will hold Hill +140. + +(Sgd.) LORD PIMPLE. + + +The main facts of this story can be verified +in the official records of this division. + +I have a vivid recollection of General H---- when +he was Lieutenant Colonel in command +of the --th Canadian Battalion. I had been +sent there to relieve the regular Medical Officer +who was away on leave in England. Lieutenant +Colonel H---- was also away on leave +during my first few days' service with his +battalion. + +On a certain day when we were being +relieved from the front line opposite Bully +Grenay I had not yet seen General H----. On +going out with my orderlies we were to pass +along Damoisette trench, which was one of the +front support trenches, and was an "out" +trench that day. We found it blocked by +some other officers of our battalion and a +couple of platoons, for this trench was being +heavily shelled just ahead of the block. We +joined the others and waited some time, when +an officer said: + +"By G--, I take enough chances without +waiting here for the Huns to drop those shells +on our heads. I am going out Caron d'Aix," +which was an "in" trench that day for this +relief. But the relief was to have been +completed at 10 a.m., and it was then 10:15, so +we would hardly cause any obstruction. This +fact, combined with the fact that probably +everyone, as is often the case, was waiting for +someone else to propose going back, made us +all turn about and retrace our steps. We were +going along Caron d'Aix trench when I heard +an angry voice behind me demanding: + +"Doctor, what are you doing in this trench? +Don't you know that this is an 'in' trench?" + +I turned and saw a thin-lipped, square-jawed +Lieutenant Colonel who, I guessed at once, was +our returned O.C. I explained that Damoisette +was being shelled heavily, that relief was +complete, and that only three of the men ahead +were mine. His face was quite dark and +frowning, and I could see that he was debating as +to whether he should give me a strafing, or pass +it over. Finally, he said sharply: + +"All right; carry on." + +That night at Bully I did not look forward +with any great pleasure to my dinner, for I +had heard of his reputation as to temper, and +I expected he would say a few things to me, +though, as Kelly well put it, "it's none of an +officer's business to put his nose against an +advancin' German shell." But I plucked up +my courage and entered the H.Q. mess room, +to be greeted in a kindly and friendly manner +by Lieutenant Colonel H----. + +"How are you, doctor? I have not had the +pleasure of meeting you before," shaking my hand. + +"Pardon me, sir, but you met me in a trench +today where I had no right to be." + +"No. You were quite right to be there. I +made inquiries, and find you were right. And +anyway, I had no damned right to be there +myself." + +In the time that I remained with his +battalion I found him always to be a courteous +gentleman, but with an irascible temper. One +would not be surprised if, since his becoming +a Brigadier General, his temper is less touchy. +And the incident of the Pimple shows that +he is an efficient officer, well worthy of the land +of his forefathers, and a credit to the country +of his adoption and of his men. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +A TRIP TO ARRAS + +One day toward the end of March, 1917, +our battalion was in reserve in huts and +tents at Bois des Alleux, a mile or so back +of Mt. St. Eloy, so I took advantage of a fine +afternoon to ride about the country. Making +a detour through fields to avoid being stopped +by some officious transport control, I came to +the Route Nationale running from Bethune +to Arras. + +To my surprise it looked like the Strand +on a busy day, for it was full of marching +troops, transport wagons, hurrying motor cars +with staff officers, and double-decked +motor busses painted gray, full of Tommies, gay +and happy, going to a railhead to enjoy a +well-earned leave. One could not but wonder in +what part of London these motor busses used +to carry their passengers, and think how +strange it was to see them now hurrying along +a French road within shell fire of the Germans. +As I rode along the well-paved route, our +trench lines could be seen in the nearby fields, +and the picturesque towers of Mt. St. Eloy +were on my left, seen through the nets stretched +from tree to tree to hide the traffic from the +watchful eyes of the German observers. + +Riding toward Arras, eight kilometers away, +I came up with an English officer riding in the +same direction. When I joined him he was +at first, as all English officers are, a little loath +to be joined by a stranger, though the latter +wears the same uniform. But gradually he +thawed and became the likable, courteous chap +that the English officer nearly always becomes +on closer acquaintance. He informed me that +one required a pass to enter Arras, but as he +had one and was going in to see his commanding +officer, he offered to take me in as the +medical officer of his battalion. Availing myself +of this brotherly offer, I rode with him along +the net-guarded road till we came to the +outskirts of Arras where a sentry allowed me to +enter with him. We put up our horses at the +old French cavalry barracks, now occupied by +British--not Canadian--troops, and then we +started out to search for his C.O. + +We came first to what was once the +attractive Boulevard Carnot, now "Barbwire +Square," as it was nearly filled with this +material to keep the soldiers out of it to prevent +them from being hit by the German shells +which landed there daily, either from the +enemy lines only 100 yards away, or from hostile +aeroplanes. The Huns had the range of this +street to a nicety. As we walked along the +street shells bursting a couple of blocks away +threw pieces of rock so near our heads that we +were glad when we reached the end of it. + +We wandered about the streets, deserted by +nearly all civilians except an old man here and +there walking about with bowed head, or an +old woman long past the days of her beauty +being spoiled by the splinters of a shell. +Except in a shop where I coaxed a young woman +to sell me a souvenir spoon, in two hours I +saw only one young woman in the streets. She +was hurrying along with a parcel under her +arm, paying no heed to the sharp, cutting +explosions of our 18-pounders nearby or to the +explosions of the German shells a few blocks +away. She looked for all the world like a young +housewife returning home after a morning's +shopping. + +The houses that lined the streets were nearly +all closed. All of them showed marks of shell +fire, some being completely demolished, others +having only the rear walls standing with parts +of the sides pointing outward like arms +stretching forth for their loved ones. The +immense station of the Chemin de Fer du Nord +was a mass of ruins. The stone Cathedral was +represented by the lower part of the tower, +and a brass bell lying on the pavement, the +bell that had in times of peace so often called +the faithful to prayer. The Avenue Pasteur--France +is a country that recognizes its +scientists--showed few complete buildings, and +ironically one noted the ruin that German +shells had made of the Avenue Strassbourg. + +Here and there a stone barricade had been +built, loopholes being left for machine-guns, +to prevent a possible German advance. Notices +told all to keep near the walls and away +from the open streets to avoid shell fire. +Estaminets, cafés, épiceries, and restaurants were +all damaged and closed. Joyful nights and +gay days were things of the past in this shadow +of a prosperous city. _À la mode Parisienne_, +the sign over a ladies' suit store, was all that +remained of the center of fashion of the women +of Arras. + +Altogether Arras, which had been a well-built +and modern city of 25,000 people, had +become a deserted village. What shutters +remained were closed and riddled with shrapnel, +and the place had a sad, forbidding air, as if +the inhabitants had flown because of some +horrible plague. It reminded one of the ruins of +Pompeii. In one square stood the pedestal +only of a monument erected, it said, in 1910, +"in honor of the sons of Arras who had died +for their native land." When the monument +is rebuilt the dead heroes in whose honor it +was erected will have been joined by many +comrades. + +I passed out of the walls, depressed by the +unhappy wreck of a once prosperous city +destroyed by the highly refined methods of +warfare developed by twentieth century German +kultur. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +RAGOÛT À LA MODE DE GUERRE + +(Trench Stew) + +Usually hunting partridge or grouse +is the pleasure only of those who remain +at home; but one day, while sitting in a +dugout, I enjoyed a wonderful meal. + +Our dugout was in a communication trench +some five hundred yards from the front line, +and probably six hundred from the German. +The dugout was one of those steel-roofed +affairs, the roof forming a graceful semicircle +of one-eighth-inch metal, covered with sand a +foot thick, carelessly shoveled on. My +orderlies were Corporal Roy, a Canadian boy of +twenty; Private Jock whose well-developed +sense of dry Scotch humor showed itself by +his irritating the men about him by any +method of teasing which came easiest, but whose +personal good nature and loyal love of doing +his duty, be it the most arduous and +dangerous, made everyone forgive him any of his +annoying tricks; and my batman, Private +John, a decent, clean and brave Canadian boy +who, by the way, was one of the best men I +ever had to look after my comforts, or lessen +my discomforts, whichever way you choose to +put it. + +This fine, cool winter day we had been +standing at the door of our dugout peeping +over a comparatively safe bit of parapet, +watching some of our sixty-pound trench +mortars hurtle through the air and burst in the +German lines. At last, tiring of the performance, +I went inside and sat down to read one +of Jeffrey Farnol's latest books. A few +minutes later Roy came hurrying in, grabbed his +rifle, and went racing out again. Wondering +what was the cause of this strange behavior, +and hearing a shot, I went out. + +Turning into the main communication +trench, I was just in time to see Corporal Roy +climbing back over the parapet with a plump, +dead partridge in his hand. Only those of you +who have been living for some months on army +rations can appreciate the glorious +anticipations which a fat, plump partridge can conjure +up in one's imagination. His rifle was leaning +against the parados, and Roy explained to us +that he had seen two partridges, but had only +succeeded in getting one. His impatience +getting the better of his judgment, he did not wait +till dark to go out and get his prize, but went +over the parapet in plain view of German +snipers only six hundred yards away, and +brought in his bag of game. + +The partridge was cleaned by John and +Jock and with the addition of a little mutton +and carrots from last night's rations, I made a +stew of it. All agreed--perhaps my boys +didn't dare to disagree--that it was delicious. + +This is the recipe for _Ragoût à la mode de +guerre_: Shoot a partridge over the parapet +on a bright day; take your life in your hands +to go out and get the victim; clean it--but +not too clean; mix with it a little mutton and +carrots; stew it in a canteen or dixie over a +charcoal brazier, with plenty of the penetrating +charcoal fumes entering your lungs; and +perform all these rites in a dugout with enemy +shells popping about in the neighborhood. If +you have carefully carried out all these +directions, then, being sufficiently hungry, add a +goodly portion of that most savory of +sauces--appetite--to the dish. I promise you that, +though your tastes are _blasé_ to the last degree, +you will admit that _Ragoût à la mode de +guerre_ makes a meal fit for the discriminating +palate of a king. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +LEAVE + +Leave is the be-all and end-all of anyone +who has been at the front for any great +time. It is supposed to come every three +months. It never does, but you know that if +you stay long enough it will come, for Army +Headquarters, Corps H.Q., Divisional H.Q. and +finally Brigade H.Q. (I don't dare mention +Battalion H.Q.!) "may use all of the +leave some of the time, and some of the leave +all of the time, but they cannot go on using +all of the leave all of the time," to paraphrase +Mr. P. T. Barnum in regard to fooling the +people. + +So all you must do is to possess your soul +in patience, avoid getting directly in front of +a shell or bullet, and some day in the dim +and distant future leave will come for you to +expose yourself once again to the temptations +of the World, the Flesh and the Devil in +London; that is, if any of them remain when the +Bishop of London, the Food Controller, the +Anti-Treating Laws, and the Provost Marshal +have done their work. + +One day a fellow officer (in this connection +I nearly said sufferer) informs you that his +batman was told by the O.C.'s batman that +he had heard that the Brigadier General was +taking leave the end of the month. After that +you go on hearing by devious routes that the +Brigade Majors, Captains, and Lieutenants +are going soon, and suddenly you realize that +shortly your own Battalion Headquarters will +find leave filtering through on them. And +perchance, toward the end of the list, you know +you come somewhere. + +It is then you look up your bank account, +if you happen to have any, and you take no +extra chances either with shells or superstitions, +for soldiers are almost as superstitious +as sailors. + +You could barely find in the British Armies +ten men who would light three cigarettes +with one match, and that despite the fact that +the match ration is sometimes as absent as +the rum ration. We none of us are superstitious, +but we adhere to the same platform +as did a very charming Canterbury lady. +Her two sons, as fine chaps as England +produces, were at the front, and as she and I, +walking down St. George's Place, came to +a ladder leaning against the wall of a building, +she carefully walked round the other side of +it, saying: + +"You know, Doctor, I am not the faintest +bit superstitious, but I am not taking any +chances these days." And that is the position +of the Army in the field. They are not taking +any chances. + +Your leave comes one day after many +months beyond the three required of you. You +start to a railhead where you put up for a +night at an Officers' Club and mingle with the +other happy beings who are leaving for the +same purpose on the nine-mile-per-hour French +train in the morning. As you sit about after +a dinner that makes your ration meals for the +past six months look literally like "thirty +cents," you light a cigarette, cock up your +heels, and look at the world through a +beaming face, made ruddy by an extra portion of +the grape juice of France, and wearing a smile +that won't come off. + +"You going on leave, too?" you ask genially +of your neighbor, a young officer of that +Suicide Club, the Royal Flying Corps. He is +about twenty-one, and you feel old enough to +almost patronize him. But before you do it +you glance carefully at his left breast to see +if it is, or is not, covered with D.S.O., M.C., +and perhaps, V.C., ribbons. To your relief +you find it isn't. However, on second thought, +you decide you will keep your patronizing for +the Army Service Corps and not for these +smiling, gay, life-risking, dare-devil boys about +you. + +"Y-yes in a w-w-way," the young chap +answers with a charming boyish smile, "sick +leave. My old b-bus hit the earth s-s-suddenly, +and I'm g-going for a rest. I d-d-didn't +always talk l-l-like this." And in an engaging +way he stammers out an invitation for you to +take a Crême de Menthe with him. Of course, +courtesy compels you, much against your +desire, to accept. He has with him two others +of the R.F.C., all young like himself, and +for a couple of hours you listen to their +modest tales of their really wonderful exploits, +undreamed of except by the far-seeing few +twenty-five years ago. One of the others has +a scraped nose, blackened eye and swollen lip, +which he says he received when his "waggon," +in landing, struck a rough bit of ground which, +"he tried to plow up and he must have hit +the bally gravel underneath." + +"W-were you t-t-tight?" asks the first with +that boyish smile. + +"Certainly not," indignantly replied the +other, and he laughed. "Of course, I had had a +couple in the morning, but I had a sleep +afterwards, and anyway, the O.C. smelt my breath, +and he wouldn't have allowed me up if he had +smelt anything." + +And you listen with fascination to their +comparisons of their machines and their +methods of diving; and "stalling," in which they +drive up against the wind in such a way that +they can keep stationary in relation to a certain +bit of earth; and "corkscrewing," or nose-diving, +towards the earth with a circular turning +of the whole aeroplane, out of the midst of +enemies, and righting the machine thousands of +feet lower down out of danger. + +You become quite an expert as you listen. +They tell you that earlier in the war the +German aviators were very chivalrous foes, +returning courtesy for courtesy, never shooting a +fallen enemy, and dropping notes as to the fate +of some of our missing airmen. On one +occasion the great German aviator, Immelman, who +remained chivalrous till his death, dropped a +box of cigars on the aerodrome of a great +British pilot, "with the compliments of the German +Air Service." The following night the Briton +returned the compliment in the same manner. +But now the Germans in the air, as on the sea +and on land, are much less sportsmanlike and +take mean advantages of a fallen foe. + +You listen to stories of the great exploits of +Baron Richtofen's "circus," and still greater +of the "circus" of our own Captain Ball--unhappily +since killed--who at times went up in +his pyjamas. He had a trick of shooting +straight up through the roof of his plane at +an enemy overhead and, fearing that the +enemy might some day try the same trick on him, +he had a machine gun so placed that he could +also shoot through the floor directly +downwards. Oh, what entrancing, picturesque +stories, beyond the wildest dreams of imagination +two generations ago! + +"I always take up with me a goodly supply +of cigarettes in case I have to land where I +can't get any. Do you?" asks one. + +"N-no, I d-d-don't. That's looking for +t-t-trouble. I order b-b-breakfast of p-porridge +and cream and b-b-bacon and eggs," smiles our +young stammering friend. "And then it's all +ready when I c-c-come in." + +You listen for hours to these gallant boys +who have all the fine natural courtesy and +modesty of the well-bred English, and the gayety +of a Charles O'Malley. Unconsciously they +make you feel that you really have seen such +a prosaic side of the war in comparison with +them. Then, like all good Britons, they for +some time curse the Government, and you aid +and abet them. The night wears on, the liqueur +bottle runs low, and at last you must say +good-night to these rollicking boys who insist that +you must not fail when you come back to visit +their mess, "for you C-C-Canadians, you know, +are such d-damned fine chaps, and we l-love to +meet you." + +The little sin of flattery is so easily +forgiven when it is accompanied by that frank, +fascinating smile, and when you have all been +tasting a drop of good French liqueur. + +You wend your way up creaky old stairs +to No. 13, or is it 31, and, luxury of luxuries, +you find a tub of hot water--or it was hot at +the hour for which you ordered it--awaiting +you. Divesting yourself of your clothes you +double your body this way and that in a vain +endeavor to dip more than half of yourself at once. + +At last you feel clean, and you struggle +into pyjamas, and crawl into bed between real, +white, clean linen sheets for the first time in +six months, and you sleep as no emperor can +sleep on the most silken of divans, while you +dream of the morrow when you really begin +your leave. + +Leave! Ah, we were speaking of leave! +Well, let us, you and I, take it together. Let +us enjoy to the full the flesh-pots of London. +For our leave lasts only ten days, and the war +must go on till we have shown the Hun that +he cannot autocratically put his Prussian +militaristic crown of thorns on the fair brow of +Civilization. + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +PARIS DURING THE WAR + +Paris, that queen of cities, has been an +interesting study to all who have paid +her a visit at any time, but particularly +interesting is that study since the war began. + +Previous to the war I had the good fortune +to visit this city on a number of occasions, my +last visit having been but a few months before +the beginning of this great militaristic +conflagration which is still sweeping over the +civilized world. At that time I had just returned +from a "grand tour," taking in Italy, Austria, +and Southern Germany, where no signs were +discernible on the horizon of the stupendous +attempt at world domination which the Prussian +junkers were to engineer within four months' +time. Paris at that time was enjoying bright +and balmy spring weather; the boulevards were +crowded with visiting tourists, the +Champs-Elysées with gay and merry crowds, and the +Bois de Boulogne with riders and motorists +in its wooded avenues, and rowers and paddlers +on its lakes. It remained in my memory a +picture of beauty, peace, gayety, and prosperity. + +My return to it came within the year, at the +beginning of 1915, when the war cloud that +hung over the whole of Europe particularly +dimmed the sun of Paris. I came into it in +the afternoon from the north, and my first view +of it showed that beautiful edifice, the Church +of the Sacre Coeur, on the hill of Montmartre +standing out _en silhouette_, "just as if cut from +paper," as a traveling companion remarked. + +Since the war began, on one's arrival at his +hotel in Paris he has to give many particulars +of himself not required in peace times. The +following morning he must call at the nearest +police station and obtain, after many more +questions as to nationality, occupation, and +reasons for being there, a _permis de séjour_--permit +to remain--good for a certain length of +time, at the expiration of which the permit +must be renewed. + +On stepping out of my hotel the following +morning to go to the police station, the first +thing that struck my attention was the large +number of women in mourning, though it was +then only a matter of months since the beginning +of hostilities. The thought that flitted sadly +through my mind was that one-half of the +women of Paris are in mourning now, and ere +long the other half will be. It must not be +forgotten that the French wear mourning for +relations much more distant than those for +whom we wear it; but even at that the war +must not have gone on many months before a +very large percentage of the French homes had +been touched by the deaths of those near and +dear to them. For the soil of France was under +the heel of the foreign invader, and there are +no people in the world who love their mother +country with a deeper devotion than the +French. A very old woman, living away up +in the north of France in a town that was +shelled by the Germans almost daily showed +me her love for la belle France and her hatred +of its enemies in one expressive sentence. I +had asked her if she did not tire of the +continuous pounding of the guns. + +"No, I love them, I love them," she answered +passionately, "for when they cease it means that +the accursed boche is being left alone; but when +they roar, roar, roar, it means that we are +driving him out of our beautiful France." Her +face showed, as an old woman's wrinkled face +can show so well, her hatred of the Germans. +The soldiers of France by their traditional +gallantry, their superb courage and their +patience, have not only shown their love for their +country, but have been an example of noble +heroism to us all. + +One of the next notable changes on the +streets of Paris was the fact that one saw no +young men in civilian clothes. All were +serving their country in some capacity in the +armies. The little hotel in the Rue Bergere at +which I was a guest, a hotel of not many more +than one hundred rooms, had given thirty +men--waiters, porters, clerks--to the armies of +France, for it was one of those small, select +hotels that one finds scattered throughout +Europe. The only male help that remained of +its original staff was the concierge, and he was +a Dutchman from Amsterdam. The manager, +accountant, and all the other help were women. +No meals were served except a French +déjeuner--so hateful to hungry Anglo-Saxons--of +bread, and tea, coffee, or cocoa. + +And the same condition was noticeable all +over the city. Anyone who has visited this fair +metropolis of France in peace times will +remember the delicious, snow-white bread that is +served with the meals, that French bread with +the crackly brown crust as delicious as pastry. +The first day of my stay I noticed that this +bread was served no longer. In its place we +were given some of a much inferior quality +and not nearly so white. When this had +occurred in many different restaurants and +cafés, I asked the reason. + +"_Mais, monsieur_," was the reply, accompanied +by that Gallic gesture of helplessness, the +turning upward of the palms, "the good bakers +are all serving with the armies." Of course, +this reason was enhanced by the conservation +of the wheat which prevented the mixing or +blending of the superior qualities of grains to +produce the high-grade flours used by the good +bakers. + +The streets by day were the same crowded +thoroughfares as of old, except for the black +of those in mourning, the blue-gray of the +military uniforms, and the military cars and Red +Cross ambulances. The touts who in peace +times had tried to inveigle the tourist into +moving picture houses in which the films had +_not_ been passed by the censor; or who +offered to take him around the forbidden +night-sights for a small honorarium; or who +endeavored to sell him postcards so indecent that the +ordinary man would not accept a fortune and +have them found on his corpse; all these fellows +still plied their trade. They were not quite +so obtrusive or so numerous as usual, but it +was difficult to cross the Place de l'Opéra +without having one of them step up behind +you and whisper his enterprise, whatever it +was. + +The girls of the boulevards were perhaps +even more in evidence than at other times, for +in those early months of the war few chose +to cross the submarine-infested channel, and +still fewer to cross the Atlantic through the +areas laid out by the Huns as danger zones, +unless good cause made them do so. Paris, +usually the Mecca of tourists from all the +countries of the world, had become instead the +business and military headquarters of France. +And to Paris came, instead of the gay youth +bent on pleasure, the gray youth bent on +business, whose eyes were so busy studying his +engagement book, or reading the market +reports, that they had not time to meet the +roaming glances of the girls of the boulevards. New +friends were hard to find, for _les riches Américains_ +came no more except on business, and the +old friends in the persons of gay Pierre or +gallant Paul were serving in the trenches--perhaps +dead, for news of them came but seldom. +So the girls had plenty of time to promenade +and one found it necessary to keep his +eyes fixed steadily on some imaginary object +straight in front, as he walked down the Boulevard +des Italiens or the Boulevard des Capucines, +to avoid receiving too many inquiring +glances from the boulevardières. Generally +speaking the annoyances were limited to +glances, as the rules of the city are strict. + +One noticeable thing about these women was +the fact that many of them wore black, +probably for two reasons--on the one hand, war +economy, and on the other, to attract sympathy +for real or supposed losses at the front. +Those who were not in black went with the +prevailing styles which seemed to be governed +also by war economy, for less and less materials +were being used in the dresses: the waists +were getting lower, and the skirts higher. One +would imagine that if this kept on till they +met, some kind of catastrophe would be likely +to happen, even though it were Paris! + +At that famous corner of the Café de la +Paix the chairs on the street were well +patronized, though the weather was chilly; and I +found myself wondering if it were the same +crowd who had occupied them a few months +before on my last visit. No one ever passes +here without taking a seat, unless he is pressed +for time. Someone has said that if you sit +here long enough you will see everybody in +the world who is anybody in the world pass by. +I took a seat and a cup of coffee and glanced +about me. It was the usual mixed crowd, with, +perhaps, fewer of those who chase Bacchus and +Venus, and more of those who pursue Mammon. +But, after all, men and women are much +the same the world over, and this was much +the same group of coffee-sipping, liqueur-tasting +people that one finds in the cafés from +4 to 6 p.m. in any of the continental cities +from Paris to Vienna, from Naples to Berlin. +There were a few more men in uniform, +a little less gayety than usual, a trifle more +business talked in one's hearing. Otherwise, +it was the same group. + +A couple of tables from me was a handsome +officer in a French uniform, but plainly, from +his cast of features and his mannerisms, not +a Frenchman. He wore the ribbon of the +Legion of Honor on his tunic, and he was, +perhaps for this reason, saluted by many of the +officers who passed on the boulevard. Many +glances of admiration were thrown in his +direction by civilians. Some of the officers +stopped for a moment and chatted with him. +I watched him for some time, my curiosity +increasing. He was sitting alone at the moment +when I got up to leave, and I made the excuse +of asking him something about British hospitals. + +Apparently glad to hear his own tongue +spoken he welcomed me, and we exchanged +confidences for a few minutes, as strangers +sometimes will when there is something in +common between them. He was an Australian who +had been in France when the war broke out, +and he had not agreed with England's hesitation +in entering the war by the side of Belgium +and France; so he joined the French +army. + +"Oh, yes, that is the Legion of Honor," he +returned smilingly to my remark as to his +decoration. "A very ordinary bit of work at the +front brought it to me," he continued modestly, +apparently not caring to give details. +Though I was in Paris some time, I did not +come across him again, nor have I ever met +since this Australian lover of freedom. + +At that time the women of France were +already doing much of the work usually +performed by men. This was long before London +had reached the stage that she has attained +today, with women filling such a wide variety +of occupations, so that it was very noticeable in +France at that time. At the border my goods +had been looked over by women customs +inspectors; women guards in the train had +examined my ticket; and in Paris women were +everywhere, handling the motor buses, conducting +on the tramways, collecting fares on the +Metropolitan, or Underground, and filling the +hundred and one other positions that, since the +war, woman has proved herself so capable of +filling. + +All the women of the world have proved +themselves heroines in this war, but none more +than the women of France. At the early stage +of the war of which I am writing, they showed +those characteristics of patience, loyalty, and +nobility of mind which have distinguished them +in the straining times that have come and gone +since then. They seemed to have become +resigned to all things. If one spoke to them +petulantly of the raw, cold weather: + +"Ah, well," they returned, smiling, "it is the +season, and one must expect bad weather." Or +you may, perchance, have known some woman +whose son or brother was serving in the lines. +At that time the French Government gave out +but little information as to any of the +happenings at the front, and unless the government +knew positively that a man was killed, no word +of news was sent to the anxious friends. Often +many weary months of waiting passed without +knowledge on the part of the soldier's nearest +of kin as to his fate. And if during this time +of waiting you asked this woman whom you +knew for tidings of her loved one, her reply +invariably was: + +"No, no. I have had no news of _mon cher_ +Jacques for a long time now. But I do not +fear," she would continue with a patient smile, +"for the good God will protect him, I am sure. +And if it is necessary, we must give all for our +beloved France." And it may have been many +more long, long months, and it may have been +never, that she learned the real fate of her +"cher Jacques." + +One morning during this visit, as I entered +a car on the subway, a living picture of sorrow +passed in ahead of me. The picture was made +up of a beautiful young widow, leading tenderly +by the hands her two lovely children, now +fatherless. Her deep brown eyes looking +sadly out from her pale face saw no one. Those +eyes were looking into the far-off distance of +the blank and lonely years to come, those years +without hope "for the touch of a vanished hand, +or the sound of a voice that is still." All +that saved her from black despair was the +knowledge that she had to bear up because of +the helpless children at her side. But, God! +The pity of the thousands of these lonely +widows! What a contribution France and her +allies are making to the cause of liberty! + + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +PARIS IN WARTIME + +At this period of the war the restaurants +of Paris--and no other city is so famous +for its restaurants--were not appreciably +curtailed in their food supplies. They still served +the well-seasoned, dainty dishes of the French +chefs, though their clientele was considerably +smaller in numbers. + +You could still get a delicious cut off the +joint at Boeuf à la Mode near the Palais +Royal; or you could have a choice of many +luscious dishes at Voison's well-known dining +place. If you preferred French society, you +could still go to Larue's aristocratic restaurant, +opposite the Madeleine, patronized by the +society of Paris. Prunier's oyster house was +apparently as busy as it had been in the piping +times of peace and tourists; and the most +deliciously cooked fish in Europe--according to +my taste--was still being served at Marguery's +under the title of _Sole à la Marguery_. + +The less pretentious eating places of the +modest diner, such as Duval's dining-rooms +or the Bouillon Boulant, served good meals at +reasonable prices. These latter are akin to +the Child's restaurants in America. But +already the food question was beginning to cause +some anxiety throughout the world, because of +the lessened production and increased +consumption due to the millions of men taken +from productive occupations who had to be +kept fit as fighters. + +For this reason I decided one day to see how +cheaply I could obtain a satisfying meal +during wartime in Paris. The Diner de Paris +advertised exceptionally cheap meals, and they +seemed to be well patronized, so I entered one +of these eating places. The large dining-room +was filled to overflowing with a well-dressed +throng, no doubt mostly clerks from the +adjoining business blocks. Here I partook of +a tastily cooked meal of soup, roast pork and +potatoes, apple pie, and a bottle of milk, all +for the munificent sum of twenty-six cents, +plus the regulation tip of two cents, most +certainly a reasonable price for a good meal in +the principal city of a country with the +invader on its soil. Unfortunately since that +time the food situation in all the countries at +war has become much more complicated. + +The hotels of the first class still kept open +doors, and a few of them seemed to have an air +of prosperity, but these were very few. Many +of them who, in the season, considered it +"infra-dig" to have more than a small card in the +hotel columns of the daily papers, which card +never hinted at their prices, had descended to +the habit of advertising "special rates during +the war." But others still preferred their small, +select clientele--and a deficit--to accepting +prosperity obtained by any such plebeian method. + +One point noticeable was the fact that +unless the traveler carried them himself he saw +no gold Louis or half-Louis, so much in +evidence in times of peace. I had brought with +me some English gold, but once it disappeared +from my hand it never returned. A journalist +friend of mine told me he was collecting the +equivalent of one hundred dollars in gold to +keep for an emergency, and was delighted +when I gave him a few sovereigns in exchange +for French money. The gold was being gathered +in by the government, and today in France +only paper money is used in exchange. All +the smaller cities issue paper currency in +denominations as low as one-quarter franc, or +five cents. + +Among my letters was one of introduction +to the director of a large hospital in the Rue +de la Chaise. This hospital was supported by +funds collected by _La Presse_, a daily journal +of Montreal, and so it was partial to any +Canadian visitors, though it received as patients +only French officers and soldiers. The institution +was doing much good work, all of which +was done by Paris medical men, Dr. Faure, +a well-known surgeon, performing most of the +operations. My reception was cordial, and I +became a regular visitor to its operating +theater during my stay in the city. + +On one of my early visits I was watching +Dr. Faure remove some dead bone from an old +wound of the leg, when a tall, distinguished +lady entered. She had donned a sterilized gown +over her street dress, and was apparently a +visitor like myself. Noting that Dr. Faure's +English and my French were both a trifle +labored, she, during my visits, acted as +interpreter for us, her English having the soft +intonation of the educated Britisher. She +informed me that she was neither doctor nor +nurse, but was simply learning something of +nursing in order that she could be of service +to her country in its need, though she had a +little son and daughter of her own to care for. +That was the extent of my knowledge of her, +though I saw that she was treated with +more than ordinary consideration by surgeons, +and nurses, one of the younger surgeons, +by the way, being a stepson of the idolized +Joffre. + +The last day I visited the hospital she was +not there, and as I was leaving Paris the +following day I left my card for her with one +of the sisters, with a word of thanks scribbled +upon it for her kindness to a stranger. That +afternoon I went to Cook's to get my railway +tickets, and as I came out of the door this lady +stepped from an automobile to enter Cook's. +Recognizing me, she told me that she had been +at the hospital after I had left, and had been +given my card. She was leaving the following +day for Switzerland for a two weeks' rest; and +hoped that when I returned to Paris I would +call and meet her husband. + +"I should be delighted, madam, but I fear +I do not know your name." + +"Comtesse (Countess) de Sonlac," she replied. + +All the French women were doing their bit. +A very clever, cultured woman-journalist +whom I met at the home of a high Canadian +official in Paris was leaving in a few days to +take a position as _cook_ on an ambulance train +in the north of France! + +At night the streets of Paris were well lit +up, even more brightly than those of London, +though a little later, after the Germans had +made a couple of Zeppelin raids, the lighting +was dimmed. When a raid was expected the +police warned the people by the blowing of +sirens, and the hurrying about of motor cars +under police direction tooting foghorns. The +warnings were given when word had been +received that Zeppelins had been seen going +toward Paris; and on receiving these warnings +the street lights were extinguished, and all +other lights that could be seen, including the +headlights of motor cars, had to be switched +off. + +The Opera was closed, but most of the theaters +were in full swing, for it had been found +that the people must have some recreation, and +the order issued at the beginning of the war +closing all places of amusement had been +rescinded. The far-famed and somewhat +notorious Moulin Rouge music hall, well known +to all visitors to Paris, had been burned a short +time before, and had but recently reopened its +doors at the Folies Dramatique in the Place +République. Wandering one evening along +the boulevards I came to it, and entered. A +very ordinary vaudeville was in progress, +equaling neither in quality nor in gayety the +performances at the original Red Mill in +Montmartre. Here and there throughout the +evening skits in English were put on, in +compliment to their British allies; just as French +playlets are common today in the London +theaters--a social touch to the Entente Cordiale. + +About ten-thirty I tired of the rather tawdry +performance, and made my exit to find +the streets in pitch black darkness, only broken +here and there by the small side-lights of a +flitting automobile or a dim light far back in +a boulevard café. A gendarme, with whom I +accidentally collided as I strolled slowly along +the street, told me that a warning had been +sent out that the Zeppelins were coming. Rain +was pattering on the pavement which glistened +as the automobiles hurried by, and occasionally +searchlights swept overhead, flashing from +l'Étoile. The people were good naturedly +jostling their way along, and as someone near me +struck a match to help him grope his way, a +giggle was heard and a bright-eyed French girl +pulled herself back from the escort who had +just kissed her. They apparently were not +worrying about the Zeppelins that were +coming, and so far as I could see neither was +anyone else. As the people collided in the dark, +jokes and friendly banter were bandied to and +fro. Someone on the opposite side of the +boulevard knocked something down which hit +the pavement with a crash, and a gay voice +cried: + +"_C'est un obus! Les bodies, les boches!_" +(It's a shell! The boches, the boches!) And +a roar of laughter greeted the remark. + +All took the expected raid as a joke; and yet +a few nights before the Zeppelins had reached +Paris and had done some damage to property +and life by dropping what the Parisians gaily +call "a few visiting cards." But this attack +reached only the outskirts of the city, though +the inhabitants had no way of knowing that +such would be the case. + +The following day I had dinner with some +friends who live on the Champs Elysées, and +the hostess was envying one of her maids who +had had "the good fortune" to be spending the +previous night with her family on the outskirts +of the city, and had seen the Zeppelins! + +In the more than two years since that time, +I have been in London during a number of +air raids, some by Zeppelins and others by +aeroplanes. The last was on July 7, 1917, on +which occasion twenty-two planes sailed over +London, dropping bombs and doing considerable +damage in broad daylight. The people +of London accepted these raids as spectacles +too precious to miss. I was writing a letter in +the Overseas Officers' Club in Pall Mall at +the moment when I received my first intimation +that anything out of the ordinary was +happening. This intimation came to me by my +noticing that everyone in the club, men and +women alike, was rushing into the streets to +see the German planes overhead, surrounded +by the bursting shells of our anti-aircraft guns. +Only in the immediate neighborhood of the +exploding bombs was anything but curiosity +shown by the populace. The spots where the +bombs struck attracted the curious during the +rest of the daylight hours. + +All of which goes to show that human +nature is much the same the world over--except +in Germany, where by some kind of perverted +reasoning the people seem to imagine that +these child-mutilating, women-killing raids +cause widespread terror amongst the English +and French people. The real result is disgust +for such barbarous methods, hatred against the +Huns who employ them, and a more firm +determination on the part of the allies to +continue the war until the German perpetrators +of these atrocities, realizing the enormity of +their offenses against the laws of civilization +and real culture, decide to honor their treaties, +abide by the laws of nations, and keep faith +with the other people of the world. + +On Sunday morning I visited Napoleon's +old church, the Madeleine, noting as I walked +along the streets that any business houses with +German names had an extra allowance of +French and allied flags across their fronts. +These air raids made them nervous! The +Madeleine was jammed to the doors, many of those +present being, like myself, strangers in the city. +The service was an elaborate high mass, and I +found it high in more ways than one, for four +collections were taken up: the first for the +seats; the second for the clergy; the third for +_les blessés_--the wounded; and the fourth for +the soldiers. I could not help but think that +they should have taken up a fifth from the +soldiers, the clergy, and the wounded, for the rest +of us, for when I got outside I possessed only +my gloves and a sense of duty well done! + +That afternoon I visited the Bois de Boulogne. +Thousands were there. It might easily +have been a Sunday during any of the +previous forty years of peace. On superficial +inspection one could not see any sign of the +injury done to the trees due to many of them +being cut down at the beginning of the war in +preparation for the defense of Paris. The tea +houses of the Bois were doing their usual +business, and it was just as difficult as at other +times to find a table. + +Two of the famous sights of Paris to which +the tourist always goes are Napoleon's Tomb +in the Invalides, and Notre Dame. At the +former in ordinary times one will always find +a crowd of sightseers of various nationalities, +admiring the beauty of the immense porphyry +sarcophagus and its surroundings; dreaming of +Napoleon's days of greatness as a youthful +general in Italy, or as dictator of the whole +of Europe except Britain; or giving a pitying +thought to his last days at St. Helena. Today, +as I strolled in, few were there, and they +were mostly the veterans who live in the +Invalides, and I have no doubt their thoughts +consisted of hopes that another would arise +with the military genius of Napoleon to drive +the invader from the soil of France, and to +once more dictate terms from Berlin. + +On my return I went for a moment into +the Louvre from which most of the art +treasures, such as the Venus of Milo, have been +removed to underground vaults, safe from +bombs dropped by the destruction-loving Hun. +And a painting that I looked for, but did not +find, was Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, the +lady of the mysterious smile, the stealing of +which had caused such a furore in the world +of art. It had just been returned before my +last visit to the Louvre. + +The following day I wandered across the +Seine and viewed again that magnificent +Gothic pile, the church of Notre Dame de +Paris. It happened to be a holy day and +immense crowds were entering. Someone said +to me that the war seems to have brought back +religion to the spirit of France. After all, +there are few people in the world who, when +beset by troubles, do not glance upward at +times and utter a prayer that the Supreme +Being will take notice of them and have pity +on them. I joined those entering, and mingled +with them as they made their way into the +solemn interior of the great edifice. It seemed +that thousands were there. Those entering +were directed in such a way that they passed +in order before two immense lifelike paintings +arranged on one side of the church, one +above the other--the Last Supper, and the +Crucifixion. Before these paintings myriads +of candles were burning, and as the people +passed each took one or two or three more +candles and lit them. It was a splendid, solemn, +and impressive spectacle. + +To send telegrams or cables from France +was a most troublesome procedure. You had +to get the written consent of the military +police after they had interviewed you as to your +objects in sending the message, and had +scrutinized the message carefully to find if, +perchance, you had hidden somewhere within it +information that might be of service to the +enemy. + +But even this was an easy matter +compared with getting out of Paris once you +had entered. For to get out was very much +more difficult than to get in. You had first +to report to the police station nearest to your +hotel that you were leaving the city. Then +you had to go to the office of the Consul of +the country to which you were going, explain +the purpose of your change of residence, and +have the consul or his representative _visé_ your +passport. Then finally you had to call at the +Prefecture of Police--akin to our central police +station in a large city--and again get your +papers certified. Each of these moves meant +considerable time lost, sometimes as much as +a day, since long lines of people were at each +of these places hours before they opened for +business. + +On my departure, during my visit to the +British Consulate, I had an amusing experience +that is worth relating. As I turned into +the court of the building in which the +consulate is situated, an automobile drove up, and +out stepped a stylish and pretty woman of +perhaps thirty years. She followed me into +the court, and after looking about her +doubtfully for a minute, she turned and asked if I +could direct her to the office of the British +Consul. I had walked there the day before to +"learn the ropes," and so knew my way about. +I replied that it was up a couple of flights of +stairs, but as I was just going there I should +be pleased to show her the way. + +We went up the two flights of stairs, and +reaching the waiting room found some thirty or +forty people ahead of us. We took our place +in the line to await our turn, which meant a +delay of an hour or two. As the people waited +conversation was quite free, as was also +criticism of the consulate for not having more help +at a time of pressure such as the present. The +lady whom I had shown up was next to me in +the line. She looked upon me as an American +compatriot, for she was from New York, and +apparently felt quite safe in carrying on a +conversation with a stranger in a strange city. +She mentioned that she was on her way back +from Spain to England. + +"Spain," I said in some surprise. "Might +I be curious enough to ask why a young woman +like yourself should be traveling in Spain in +times like the present?" + +"Oh, I'm a eugenist," she replied readily, +"and I have been in Spain studying the +effects of the war on the Spanish people in +relation to eugenics for a book I am preparing +for publication. I am going to spend some +time in London, in the British Museum, +looking up some data to complete my manuscript." And +then quite voluntarily she went on to criticize +the majority of all the cherished institutions +of society, and as she became more enthusiastic +her criticisms became more free, more +radical, almost nihilistic. She ended in a +tirade against civilization as we know it, not +by any means becoming at all boisterous, but +simply youthfully animated in her fault-finding +with the world in general. + +I could hardly believe my ears. Here was +a pretty American woman of thirty, highly +educated, whose outlook on life was more +nihilistic than that of the most extreme German +socialist. But finally she capped the climax +by telling me frankly that she was an +anarchist; had taken part in two anarchistic plots +in Italy; and promised me that the next ruler +who was going to pay the death penalty for his +tyranny was King Alfonso of Spain. Beginning +to feel certain that she was "ragging" me, +I asked her jokingly if she expected me to +believe her. + +"Does it sound like something that a young +woman would claim were it untrue?" she asked, +and I was forced to admit that it did not. "I +will tell you something further," she continued, +"I dare not return to New York at the present +time or I should be put in jail. For the last +time I was there I was jailed for some of my +writings. I obtained my freedom on bail of +three thousand dollars, and, hearing that I was +to be railroaded to prison, I jumped it." + +"Why do you tell a stranger like myself +this story?" I asked. "How do you know that +I am not going to report you to the police?" + +"I know you are not going to report me to +the police," she answered coolly, "because if +you did I would shoot you." + +"Do you carry much of your artillery on +your person?" I asked, laughing. And seeing +that I was taking it all as a joke, she joined +in the laugh. + +"It's your turn, madam," said the porter to +her, and she passed out of the line into the +office of the consul, giving me a charming smile +and curtsy as she left. + +Whether her story was the result of mischief, +insanity, or conviction, I really have no +idea; but I do know that I have in my life +passed many more tedious and less interesting +hours than the one I passed while awaiting my +turn at the office of the British Consul that +day. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +IN A CHÂTEAU HOSPITAL + +Early in the conflict, after the Germans +had been pushed back from their rush on +Paris, the French were in a bad way for many +of the necessities of a country at war. Among +the necessities that France lacked was +sufficient hospital accommodation for the sick and +wounded of her armies, and for the first year +of the war this shortage was partially supplied +by voluntary ambulances--the word ambulance +in French being employed for a field +hospital. Many rich Americans gave valuable +service at this time to their sister republic, the +American ambulances at Neuilly and Juilly +being among the most noted of the war hospitals. + +It was not at all difficult to get staffs for +these hospitals, for thousands of young Americans +with red blood in their veins and the love +of romance in their hearts were only awaiting +the opportunity to do something useful +anywhere between Paris and the firing line. +Between the people of the United States and the +French there has always been a deep +sympathy, possibly engendered up to half a +century ago by their common antipathy to +England, a sentiment forever removed by mutual +sufferings and common interests and ideals in +this war. A witty writer one time said that +"good Americans, when they die, go to ---- +Paris"; jokingly showing the love which the +people of the southern half of this continent +have for the French. But, no matter what the +reasons, the greatest republic in the world was +early in responding to the call, and so placed +her sister republic, France, under deep +obligations for assistance of surgeons, nurses, and +hospitals long before Mr. Wilson led the +United States to join with the other civilized +peoples in their fight against barbarism. + +The British were very early up and doing +in the same manner, and not many months after +Kitchener's Contemptibles--a name now +revered in Britain--had made their heroic retreat +from Mons, many well-equipped hospitals +manned by Britons were doing excellent work +behind the French lines. + +It was my good fortune to serve at the +beginning of 1915 in one of these, the Château +de Rimberlieu, just three miles from the point +at which the German lines came nearest to +Paris, and seven miles north of Compiègne +where a little over one hundred years ago +Napoleon for the first time met Marie Louise +of Austria when she came to replace the +unhappy Josephine. + +I obtained the position after much searching +for an opportunity to be of service. Going +across from New York to London I had been +refused a position by the British unless +I could enlist, which personal reasons prevented +at the time. Then, after two days interviewing, +taxicabbing, viséing, pleading, and +explaining, I obtained a permit to go to France. +At Boulogne the authorities of the British Red +Cross and St. Johns Ambulance Association +told me they were oversupplied with surgeons +and I decided to go to Amiens, where I had a +surgical friend. + +I could not get away till the following +morning, so I spent the afternoon wandering +about. The streets were filled with +a cosmopolitan throng of soldiers of all shades +of color--white, black, and brown--and of +various nationalities, British and Canadian +Tommies in their khaki, French poilus in their +blue-gray uniforms, Ghurkas from India in their +picturesque dress, and French Soudanese with +strange accouterments. The better hotels were +all occupied by the military authorities as +headquarters, and the harbor was filled with +hospital ships and transports. Walking about the +streets one had to look sharp to avoid being +run down by hurrying Red Cross ambulances +or lumbering motor lorries. + +I strolled to the beach, where on the sands +Tommies were lounging, gazing longingly +across at the shores of England, dimly visible +in the distance. One of the soldiers turned to +me with a smile and said: + +"I was just taking a last look at the old +'ome, sir. Of course, I 'opes to see it again +sometime if I don't 'appen to stop somethink." And +it was all said most cheerfully. I added +my wishes for his luck to his own. + +On the slow train from Boulogne to Amiens +we passed many military camps with their +white tents in orderly rows. Here and there +oxen were being used by old men and women +on their farms, and in one little brook some +boys were fishing. I could hardly believe that +forty miles or less away two armies of millions +of men were contending for the mastery, with +civilization depending on the outcome. When, +later, I was much nearer to the front I was +struck again and again by the matter-of-fact +manner in which the French peasant accepts +his or her military surroundings. He works +coolly in fields into which at times enemy shells +are dropping, or over which long range guns +are firing into some semi-ruined town of +Northern France. Something which is always a +cause of wonder and admiration to the observer +is that, despite the fact that all the young +and able Frenchmen are in the trenches, the +women, old men and children who remain +succeed in cultivating the farmlands of France +right up to the lines. + +At Amiens my surgeon friend, who had over +twelve hundred war operations to his credit in +the past six months, much regretted that I +could not be used at the moment,--much +regretted; but still regretted. I began to feel +that the gods of ill luck were camping on my +trail. I went on to Paris. Here my letters of +introduction were looked at with anxiety and +I with suspicion, for in the early months of +the war some foreign surgeons were found to +be giving information to the enemy. At any +rate, though courtesies and promises were +showered upon me, I remained a useless guest +at my hotel in the Rue de Rivoli until I reached +an almost desperate stage, realizing that, +though surgeons were urgently needed, I could +not be of service. + +Sickly visions of returning home after a +futile attempt to be of use came to me, when +suddenly luck changed. The director of the +Ambulance Anglo-Française in the Château +de Rimberlieu came to Paris in search of +assistance. Being an Englishman, he looked in +at the British Red Cross in the Avenue d'Ièna +where they told him of this forlorn Canadian +who had been haunting their offices, but of +whom they had lost track. By a bit of luck +their commanding officer met me that afternoon +on the Place de l'Opéra, and gave me the +director's address at the Hotel de Crillon. I +hurried at once to call upon him, and offered +to take any position from chauffeur to surgeon. +There is a biblical quotation that the meek are +blessed, for they shall inherit the earth. I +inherited the surgeoncy--not a lucrative +inheritance, it must be admitted, for it carried no +salary, no railway fares, no uniform, all of +which must be supplied by the inheritor. + +After obtaining a _sauf conduit_ from the +military authorities to take me as far as Creille, +I left on the train that afternoon for +Compiègne, sixty miles to the north, accompanied +by an affable young Red Cross orderly, of +English parents and Paris birth, who in civil +life was a drygoods salesman. At Creille, +which was the beginning of the war zone, our +troubles began. I was in civilian dress, my +uniform not yet being completed. The French +military officers here were almost adamant. +My passport, director's letter, Red Cross +authority, all proved of no avail to get me +further. Rather strangely, the letter which +obtained the desired permission to proceed was +an ordinary letter of introduction from a +prominent French Canadian parliamentarian which +I had in my pocket. + +Presto! The officer knew his name, and by +I went. + +We arrived at Compiègne about midnight, +and for the first time we heard the sound of the +guns ten miles away. As we were now only +seven miles from the Château, we thought our +troubles were over. But we had reckoned +without the sous-prefet de police, who said in +the morning when we called that we could go +no further without a special permit. + +"That chap's a bit of an awss," remarked my +young friend, expressing my sentiments to a +nicety. + +However, about 10 a.m. the director whirled +into town in his 60-horsepower Rolls-Royce, +and learning of our troubles, he smilingly said +that he thought he could get around that +difficulty. He pulled from beneath the rear seat +a military overcoat and cap which I put on; +and out of the town we whirled, past sentries at +crossroads and railway crossings, to whom the +director yelled the password--it was "Clairemont" +that day. The password changes daily +at a certain hour, and anyone without the new +word when required is hailed before the +authorities. The director ran some slight risk +in thus smuggling me through the lines, but +nothing ever came of it; and I gave a sigh +of relief when we at last swung into the +spacious grounds of the château. + +The house was a large stone building, used +in peace times as the summer home for the +family of the Count de Bethune, one of the +oldest titled families in France. His two +daughters, the Countess de Ponge and the Marquise +de Chabannes, lived in a small corner of the +building, and gave their time to help us in our +nursing work. They did everything in their +power, and it was much, to make life pleasant +for the patients and for the staff. + +The building was ideal for a hospital with +room for a couple of hundred patients. The +reception hall was used as a general reception +room for patients, as well as a lounging room +for us in our spare time. Its immense, +exquisitely carved mahogany mantel was one of +the artistic ornaments that had not been +removed to avoid injury. The drawing and +reception rooms and the dining hall had been +transformed into wards, called the Joffre, +French, and Castelnau wards, as were also the +larger of the bedrooms on the next floor. The +surgeons, nurses, and staff occupied the +servants' quarters on the top floor. The +oak-paneled library and smoking room had become +the operating theater and the X-ray studio. +Our dining-room was the original servants' +dining-room in the basement. The French +officers and men who were cared for here +received, as they deserved to receive, the best we +had to give, the staff gladly taking second place +in all things. And at that our life was so much +easier than that of the boys in the trenches that +we often felt a bit ashamed of the difference. + +The château was surrounded by some two +or three hundred acres of well-laid-out +gardens, artificial lakes, fountains, and woods. +These grounds had been cut up to a certain +extent by trenches, wire entanglements, +dugouts, funk-holes, and gun emplacements, all +in order and ready for use if the enemy should +drive the French back in this direction. The +fighting trenches were only three or four miles +to the north of us, this château being said to +be the nearest hospital to the lines in the whole +theater of war. We worked, slept, ate, and +killed time to the sound of the guns and shells, +the latter often bursting well within a mile of us. + +The really interesting part of the hospital +was the personnel of the staff. There were four +surgeons, a French military medical officer, +Villechaise; Allwood, a Jamaican, an old +college friend of mine whom I had neither seen +nor heard of for twelve years until the day +I arrived at the château, when he came +forward to give an anesthetic for me to a case +which General Berthier had ordered me to +operate upon; King, a Scotsman; and myself. +And we four were practically the only +members of the staff who were not paying for the +privilege of being allowed to serve. The rest +of the staff were well-to-do society people who +not only financed the institution but also did +the nursing and orderly work, gave their +automobiles as ambulances, and their personal +servants and chauffeurs to act as servants in the +hospital. + +Besides the Comtesse and the Marquise, we +had as nurses a niece of an ex-president of +France; a grand-niece of Lord Beaconsfield; +and another was a sister-in-law to Lord +Something-or-other in Scotland. The latter nurse +had as a pal Miss C----, who had stumped +her father's constituency for him during the +last general elections in England. She was a +clever girl of twenty-three, an exceptionally +good nurse, but oh, what a Tory. She had all +the assurance of her age, and Mrs. Pankhurst +in her palmiest moments could not put Lloyd +George "where he belonged" as could this +charming girl of twenty-three. The son of a +prominent Paris lawyer, a young, black-eyed +chap of seventeen who was doing his bit there +till he became old enough to join the army, +was one of her great admirers; and when he +was not scrubbing floors or performing some +other necessary work, he sometimes wrote poetry +to her. The last four lines of one of his +rhymes I remember: + + May your years of joy be many, + Your hours of sorrow few; + Here's success in all ambitions + To the man who marries you. + + +A Mr. and Mrs. G----, of Cambridge, originally +of Belfast, were two of the most pleasant, +kindly, and useful people the hospital +possessed. Their automobile was now an +ambulance which their chauffeur handled at their +expense; they paid two hundred dollars per +month in cash; they were continually buying +luxuries for the patients and necessities for the +hospital. Mrs. G---- acted as nurse in a +most capable manner; and her husband as an +orderly. A Mr. and Mrs. R---- from Cairo, +Egypt, were also with us. In Cairo he was a +professor in the University; here he acted as +chauffeur on his own automobile ambulance, +and his wife looked after the checking and +arranging of the laundry for the whole hospital. +One afternoon I went into Compiègne with him +in his car, and he delighted some French +African troops by chatting to them in Arabic, +after which they followed him around like little +boys. Mr. R---- also paid a goodly sum +toward the upkeep of the hospital. + +The director of whom I have already spoken, +and the directress, both were heavy donors to +the hospital, as well as giving automobiles and +servants as assistants. A godly clergyman +from York acted in the triple capacity of +chaplain, chauffeur on his own auto-ambulance, +which his parishioners had given him when he +left, and general chore boy. One of my finest +recollections of him is on a Sunday evening +when he held service, while outside the guns +roared and shells from the enemy burst a mile +or so to the north of us in plain view from +the windows of the room in which the +clergyman was interpreting the word of God. It +was a most impressive ceremony. My last +recollection of him, and it's just as fine, he had +thrown aside his tunic and was working with +pick and shovel digging a dump for the refuse +of the hospital, the sweat rolling down his +honest face. + +The above people are only among the most +interesting of the staff. There were also a +sheep farmer from the north of England, a +journalist of London, a student from Oxford, +and many other ladies and gentlemen who gave +of their best, all of them, giving the French +soldier scientific, sympathetic, and kindly +attention. Those names mentioned will +illustrate the personnel of hospitals such as this, +for there were many of them on the western +front in the early months of the war. Ours +was a part of General Castelnau's army, and +while nominally under the Red Cross we were +under the discipline of the French army. +General Berthier, who had charge at that time of +the medical arrangements of that sector of the +line, visited us daily, inspecting the whole +institution, ordering this, advising that, and +perhaps insisting upon something else. More +ether and hydrogen peroxide were used by the +French military surgeons in wounds than +appealed to my ideas; but one little trick they +had of sterilizing basins by rinsing them out +with alcohol and touching a match to it--"flammer," +they called it--was both rapid and +thorough where steam sterilizers were not too +common. + +Sometimes we were also inspected by civilian +surgeons on behalf of the military authorities. +Dr. Tuffier, a famous Paris surgeon, who +is as well known on this continent as in +Europe, came to make one of these periodical +inspections. I had first met him at a surgical +congress in Chicago before the war; then in +Paris I had called upon him. + +"Ho, ho!" he said with a smile, "I have meet +you one time in Chicago; then I have meet you +in Paris; now I meet you here. Perhaps the +nex' time it may be at the Nort' Pole that we +meet"; and with a friendly slap on the +shoulder he passed on. He had been very courteous +to me in Paris, but had not given me the +position that I desired so much. In fact I had +found myself sometimes wishing that the +French authorities had given me less politeness, +but more opportunity to be of service. + +In our spare hours of the day we watched +the shells bursting in our neighborhood. By +night we often sat and smoked in the dark +while we watched the flashing of shells and +guns and the flares sent up in the lines to +prevent surprise attacks. We often saw aeroplanes +being bombarded as they sailed to and fro +along the lines directing the fire of the +artillery. One soon got to recognize by ear the +puff, puff, puff of the anti-aircraft shells +bursting about the planes. Why the enemy did +not shell our institution I know not, for we +were well within range. + +In passing, it may be mentioned that no +Red Cross flag flew from our roof, and when +I inquired the reason I was told that it would +only serve as a target for German shells. + +Our work alternated, as it always does on +the battle front, between days of strenuous +labor and days of ease. When the work was +heavy all went to it with a will. In the hours +of leisure the ladies, who in civil life knew +nothing of danger and strife, begged and +sometimes vainly insisted on being permitted to +go with the ambulances as far as the trenches. +We were all civilians and knew little of +discipline and our lack of it at times was +troublesome to the French military authorities, and +some irritation arose because of it. For +example,--lights were ordered not to be shown +in the windows after dark till all the shutters +were closed and curtains drawn. This rule +was occasionally so carelessly obeyed that the +military would at times sneeringly call our +hospital "the lighthouse." + +One afternoon there drove up to our +entrance a cream-colored limousine, and out +stepped an English society girl, saying that +she had come to nurse. Some of those who +were already there were friends of hers, but +the authorities decreed that we had enough +assistance and that she must return to Paris the +following morning. In the morning she +started in the limousine, ostensibly to return to +Paris, taking the sister-in-law of Lord +Something-or-other as company for a short run. + +When outside the grounds she told the +chauffeur to turn toward the lines instead of +toward Paris. With the military pass which she +had obtained through influence in Paris, they +passed sentry after sentry till they were only +a few hundred yards from the trenches. Here +they were overtaken by a pursuing military +motor cyclist who ordered them put under +arrest, and they were taken before a high-up +officer who told them he was forced to confiscate +their automobile and send the ladies under +arrest to the rear. + +But beauty in distress--and one of them was +a real beauty--made him relent. They were +allowed to proceed rearward after a severe +reprimand and a considerable fright. A few +weeks later I met the lady of the automobile +in a train near Paris and she told me that +she had just sent up a big box of real +cigarettes--not French ones--to the officer who +should have confiscated her car, but didn't. I +did not inquire how she had obtained his address! + +There was another occasion when a plot was +hatched to duck a disagreeable officer in the +artificial lake at the lower end of the grounds. +Fortunately the saner heads prevailed and +averted any further complications. And "it +would have served the creature bally well right, +for what right had he anyhow to insist so +strongly on his old rules," as one of the +hotheads expressed it. + +It was a trifle irritating at times to have +a nurse, in reply to your order to give such +and such a patient massage, say that she would +do it presently, as she was just going for a +short tramp in the grounds. _Mais, que voulez +vous?_ as the French say with that delightful +shrug. Were they not paying to be there, and +should not that fact have given them some +rights over those horrid rules of discipline? +And we men were the same on occasions, for +discipline cannot be had outside of the trained +army. + +But the breaches of discipline were small +in comparison to the really excellent work that +the hospital was carrying on, so they were +overlooked, and, as they occurred only at wide +intervals, they but served to give a touch of +humor to the life which was monotonous +enough at times. The French realized full +well the sacrifices that were made daily by these +aristocrats who had given up their luxurious +homes, their autos, their servants and their +money, to live in the servants' quarters of this +old château, and to wait hand and foot upon +wounded poilus, with at any moment of the +day or night the chance of a shell coming +through the roof and stirring things up. No +praise is too high for the self-sacrificing work +of these men and women, all voluntary workers +and untrained in this type of labor. The +women were members of the V.A.D., Voluntary +Aid Detachment, which has been the target +at times of coarse jibes and criticisms, +spoken by those who do not know whereof they +speak. I have worked with members of this +corps of women workers in hospitals in +England and France, and I know that, taking it +all in all, their work is beyond praise, and their +nobility of character beyond estimate. This is +vouched for by many a lonely, hard-hit common +soldier, sick in a strange land, far from +his home and his loved ones. + +A field telephone line ran from the château +up to the rear trenches. The cases were +brought out of the trenches to a sheltered spot +and one of our ambulances was telephoned for. +One of us medical men accompanied the +ambulances on these journeys, and they were +often very interesting. On one of the trips on +which I accompanied the ambulance we came +to a ruined village, Gury by name, from which +the civilian population had been sent away. +It was occupied by French soldiers not in the +front line. This village had just been shelled +rather heavily by the Huns, one hundred and +fifty shells having been dropped into it. After +the first shell, which hit one of the houses but +injured no one, the soldiers took shelter in the +cellars and when the smoke had cleared away, +just before our arrival, it was found that the +only damage done was the killing of a cow +and a pigeon! The soldiers were hilariously +laughing at this waste of shells. An officer +showed us the remains of a brass bed in a +wrecked house, saying that he had been +sleeping in that when the shelling began. + +We were then taken to see a battery of the +famous .75's--_soixante quinze_--perhaps the +finest field gun on the western front, with +which they said they were going to pay back +the Germans for their audacity. They were +like so many boys at play! The guns were set +up in a cavity in the ground, a roof built over +them on which sod had been placed in such a +manner that from enemy planes it appeared +like the surrounding fields. Dugouts led down +from the gun position so that the artillerymen +could come up from their disturbed slumbers +at a moment's notice and send across a few +rounds of their death-dealing shells. Round +about were laid out flower beds with the +flowers forming in French the words: + +_Gloire aux Allies_--Glory to the Allies. + +_Honneur aux Soixante quinze_--Honor to +the .75's. + +Wherever man lives he must have something +to care for and to love, and these flowers gave +the poilus an outlet for their affection. + +Every few miles away from us in all directions +except the north were other hospitals of +the same type as our own. One very good +example, ten miles away at Fayel, was under the +direction of Countess H---- G----, a cousin +of King George. She came sometimes to visit +some acquaintances in our institution, and I +spent a very pleasant afternoon on her first +visit showing her our grounds, trenches, gun +positions, wire entanglements, and other things +of interest. She was as kindly mannered and +democratic as anyone could desire, though she +was King George's cousin and wore a number +of ribbons for previous service in South +Africa. Since that time she has served with the +Italians in Italy and has been decorated by +King Victor Emmanuel. + +In Compiègne was another very interesting +hospital presided over by that wonderful +Frenchman, Alexis Carrel, of the Rockefeller +Institute of New York. Here he has done +research work that has made his name familiar +in every scientific circle the world over. And +here in Compiègne, in this newer field, his +researches have brought forth new methods of +treating wounds which have been adopted in +hospitals throughout the war zone. His +hospital was a government institution, not one +of the voluntary ambulances of which our +château was an example. + +At the time of writing, two years from my +period of service at the Château de Rimberlieu, +it is still doing good service as a hospital, +though now it is entirely directed by the +French military authorities. But a number +of the original people are still there, +performing the same generous deeds which they +performed in my time, though they are performing +them many miles from the scene of fighting, +for early in 1917 at this point the French +happily pushed back the invaders for many miles. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +ON A TRANSPORT + +Since the war began and the Germans +undertook the drowning of women and +children by the submarine method I have +crossed the Atlantic four times. Two of these +voyages were on troop transports. Traveling +on a transport is really a pleasure voyage, +except for the military discipline, always a bit +obnoxious to the Anglo-Saxon of the North +American continent--but absolutely necessary +if an army is the thing desired, not a mob. On +a transport the food and sleeping quarters are +all that anyone could desire in a time of war, +and they satisfied all, from the veriest batman +to the highest military officer whose duty it is +to maintain discipline. + +On my first transport experience we took +the ship at an Atlantic port some days before +sailing, and no one knew the date or hour of +our intended start except the first officer of +the ship, who received his orders from the +admiralty. Our crowd was an immense one, +made up of men from all the different departments +of the army, and women who were either +trained nurses, or members of the Voluntary +Aid Detachment, going overseas to do their +bit in the hospitals or the convalescent and +rest homes in England and France. + +Until the boat started on its voyage, dances +were held nightly on the main deck, but once +we put out to sea, the ship traveled in +darkness. No one was permitted on the decks at +night except the guards, and they were +forbidden to smoke for fear of attracting +attention that was not desirable. + +We were not long away from land till a +fairly heavy swell made some of the uninitiated +sea voyagers feel all the pangs of that nauseating +illness, _mal de mer_,--seasickness. One of +the nurses sitting in a deck chair, looking away +off over the swelling billows, said languidly: +"If the Germans torpedoed us now, I wouldn't +even put on a life preserver." And another +traveler, a Tommy with a markedly Jewish +cast of countenance, as the ship took a more +pronounced dip than heretofore, exclaimed +loudly: + +"My God! She's a submarine!" The usual +sympathetic roar of laughter was the only +solace that he received; but one of his pals who +saw him leaning over the ship's side, giving an +excellent dinner to the fishes, stepped up to +him and, giving him a resounding slap on the +shoulder, said: + +"What's the matter, poor old Ikey? Are +you seasick?" + +"Am I seasick?" Ikey roared, glaring at him. +"What da hell do ye tink I'm doin' dis for? +For notting?" + +We had not proceeded far on our voyage +when a cast-iron order was issued that all must +wear their life-belts at all hours of the day. +And shortly, life-boat drill became a daily +occurrence at irregular hours. A bugle call +to drill would be given, a call that might be +real for all that anyone knew, and each +company, section, and unit took its apportioned +part of the deck, to be inspected by the higher +officers. Life boats were kept conveniently +hanging over the side of the ship for +emergencies, and certain officers were detailed to each +boat whose duty it was in case of mishap, to +maintain order during the loading and launching +of that boat. Before long this drill was +carried out with the most exact precision. + +There were a few other parades daily for the +different sections. A sick parade was held +each morning, and a hospital established for +those too sick to stay up and about. The +medical officers and nurses were detailed in turn +to do duty in this institution. But nothing of +a very serious nature turned up on the voyage. + +Otherwise time was whiled away much as +usual on shipboard. Some of us took to the +gymnasium, trying out all the exercises from +throwing the medicine ball to riding the horse, +at which some of the cavalry officers would +give that excellent piece of advice to those +beginning to learn to ride: + + Keep your head and your heart up, + Your hands and your heels down; + Keep your knees close to your horse's side, + And your elbows close to your own. + + +The regular stewards, who were serving on +the ship as in peace times, amused themselves +by telling tales that they were supposed to have +heard in confidence from the wireless operator, +and which they would whisper into your ears +in a supposedly friendly manner at any and +every opportunity. They were tales to the +effect that just ahead of us last night +such-and-such a ship was torpedoed and sunk by +the Germans with all on board, "and not a +soul was saved." They would add that the +Germans had a most intense desire to get our +boat; why, it was common talk in New York, +so a friend had written to them, that a sub +would get us this trip; "as a matter of fact, +sir, betting is five to one that they will sink +us." What a ghastly sense of humor some of +those stewards have! + +However, the days slipped by, and no one +seemed to be at all worrying as to his or her +safety. The last couple of days out from +England the guns, fore and aft, were gotten ready +for business, in case the Hun dared to show +the nose of his periscope in our neighborhood. +Eyes looked in all directions searching for the +tell-tale trail of a torpedo, and, though many +were called out, few chose to materialize. +Suddenly one morning someone spied out a couple +of those fast, dangerous-looking torpedo boats +which swung about, and crossed our bows, and +thenceforth accompanied us like a pair of +faithful bulldogs accompanying their master on +horseback. + +Though no one had expressed a word of fear +of the submarines, and no person, man or +woman, on board had seemed to worry in the least +as to the possible dangers from torpedoes, it +was noticeable at once that a pressure or +tension had been withdrawn. In the smoking +room the hum of voices rose to a much higher +pitch than it had attained during the previous +twenty-four hours of the voyage, during which +we had felt that a danger might lurk unseen +about us. The gayety on deck became +appreciably more merry. These torpedo boats +accompanied us till we reached the safety of the +harbor; and as we once again placed our feet +upon the soil we felt that in war as in peace the +end of a voyage is often the most welcome part +of it. + +But was it the end of the voyage? Ah, no, +it was but the beginning; because for the men +there are many hard roads to travel ere they +reach that which they set out to attain--a +goal of peace and liberty for the small and +the large nations, protected by the democracies +of the old and the new world. And the women +who accompanied us will soothe many a poor +boy's pain or ease his troubled mind, and will +write many a letter of comfort to his loved +ones at home, ere they join us at that peaceful +goal we all desire to reach. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +DECORATIONS + +To sneer at decorations is often much +easier than to earn them. + +It is true that more decorations, from the +Victoria Cross down, have been awarded in +this war than in the hundred years before it. +It may be stated that for each of these +distinctions given a man, ten others should now be +wearing the bit of ribbon which signifies the +award, if justice could only be done. Many +a high-minded chap is lying out there, with +only a small wooden cross to mark his last +resting place, who, if the truth were but known, +earned the finest that we had to give. And +thousands of gallant others there are with +naught but their khaki to distinguish them +as soldiers of liberty, who have, with a smile +on their lips and with no thought of awards or +rewards in their minds performed feats of the +noblest courage and self-sacrifice. + +It was an inspiration of genius that made +Napoleon institute the Legion of Honor. By +that act he proved himself a student of human +nature, as well as the greatest military leader +of perhaps any age. For most men who are +normally constituted would rather receive a +decoration honestly earned for gallantry on the +field, than accept a reward in money for the +same deed. While it is true that: + + Ambition has but one reward for all: + A little power, a little transient fame, + A grave to rest in, and a fading name; + +a large proportion of humankind are so +constituted that for "a little transient fame" they +are willing, aye, even anxious, to risk getting +only "a grave to rest in." + +The difficulty lies in deciding who is most +worthy of these coveted awards, for in the +excitement of battle courageous acts are +common, and often unobserved. For the occasional +man who has unjustly received an award, there +are thousands whose bravery should be rewarded, +but who, for one reason or another, are +overlooked. All who show courage and +resource cannot be chosen for the bit of ribbon, +so the attempt is made to choose the most +conspicuous examples. And in this choosing it is +inevitable that fallible human nature must +often err, but the erring rarely goes to the extent +of recommending someone who is wholly unworthy. + +Someone has sneeringly remarked that the +surest way to a decoration is to court the favor +of one's commanding officer who usually puts +in the recommendations for award; but there +must be few officers commanding units who +would be so unwise as to alienate the loyalty +of their men by picking favorites in this +manner. And men are not so depraved that there +are many who would desire the recognition +of the multitude without at least fair grounds +for that recognition and praise. You might +suppose that at the base or at home, where +recognition is given rather for general good +work than for special acts of honor, favoritism +is more common. But it may safely be stated +that decorations in all fields are usually +honestly earned. + +The saddest mistake is when a man has +performed some lofty, noble, self-sacrificing act, +yet receives no reward but his consciousness +of duty well done. + +I was one day assisting Colonel B---- to +hold a board on a disabled soldier to decide the +amount of his disability and his right to +pension. His left arm was missing, and Colonel +B----, in his sympathetic manner, asked him +how he had lost it. The facts were that he +and his officer, being one night out on a +scouting trip in No Man's Land, were both wounded +by rifle fire, the officer the more seriously. +The private put his officer on his shoulders +and carried him through a shower of machine-gun +bullets to a place of safety in a shellhole +near their own parapet, one of the bullets +smashing the man's arm on the way. In the +morning both were pulled in by comrades, and +sent to the hospital. The officer died on the +way without regaining consciousness, and the +private's left arm had to be amputated. He +alone knew the details of his heroic work, and +he received an ordinary pension for a V.C. deed. +He told his story at the colonel's request, +in a quiet, modest, uncomplaining manner +which gave it the stamp of truth. His +case is one of many like it where no adequate +reward has been given for great heroism; but +their total avoidance is impossible. + +Sergeant-Major D---- took part in the +Battle of the Somme, and did such excellent +work under dangerous surroundings that he +was recommended for a decoration, which +recommendation was approved. In the usual +course of events it was published in divisional +orders that Sergeant-Major D---- had been +awarded the Military Medal. But then the +powers bethought themselves that he, being a +warrant officer, should have been given +instead the Military Cross, and as a result the +whole order was cancelled, and he was given +nothing. However, at the Battle of Vimy +Ridge, he was a Lieutenant in our battalion. +Some months previously he had been given his +promotion, really against his own desires as he +said that he could do better work in the junior +position--a not very common form of modesty +in the army. After this battle he was chosen +for courageous and able work, and was awarded +the Military Cross. Thus he at last came +into his own. + +The Blank Highlanders held the lines to +the right of a certain Canadian battalion. They +planned to put on an important raid, but, +being short a certain necessary section, they +asked the loan of an officer and twenty men of +this section of the Canadians on their left. The +Canadians were glad of the honor of aiding +this well-known Scottish unit in their raid. +Twenty men gaily joined them, but for some +reason the men were sent in charge of two +officers, the regular officer of the section and +a subaltern. The officer in charge remained +at the Scottish H.Q., while his subaltern took +part in the raid. So effectually did the +Canadians aid the Scots that the latter were very +high in their praise of the Canadians, and put +in a recommendation that "the officer in charge +of this Canadian Section be awarded the M.C. for +gallantry," intending the award for the +subaltern who had assisted them on the field. + +But the "officer in charge of the Canadian +Section" was he who had remained at the +H.Q. By some twist in this recommendation +he received, and accepted, the M.C. which had +been meant for his junior who had really done +the gallant work for which the decoration was +given. The subaltern did not get even a +mention in dispatches, and at a later date he was +killed while fighting bravely. + +The Canadian battalion to which the two +officers belonged were so annoyed, and so +ashamed of the decorated officer, that no word +was said of the mistake to their Scottish friends. +The officer was allowed to wear without comment +his unearned award, but his stay with his +battalion came to an abrupt end shortly afterward. + +But it may be repeated safely that mistakes +such as the above are very, very rare, and that +most of those who win recognition on the field +may wear their ribbons with pride and without +shame. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV + +ON A HILL + +Just before the great Vimy Ridge offensive +a crowd of us stood on a small hillock +beside our camp, which is in a wood six or seven +miles behind our lines, to watch the "earthquake" +that was to open on Thelus at 3 p.m., +and of which we had been told by brigade. +The "earthquake" was to take the form of a +bombardment of Thelus,--a small town one +mile behind the German lines, opposite our +front, and which, from the lines, we could see +very distinctly with the naked eye,--by every +gun of ours that could throw a shell into it. As +guns here are much more numerous to the +square mile than they were even at the Somme, +and as others are going forward day and night, +some so large that it takes eight or ten horses +to pull them, and as ammunition goes forward +at the rate of three or four hundred motor +lorries full daily for each mile of front, this means +indeed an earthquake. + +We stood on the hillock at the "zero" hour, +and on the stroke of three, shells began to burst +on the skyline. Some, high explosives probably, +caused those immense black upheavals of +earth which, except for their color, remind one +of nothing so much as the spouting of a whale +at sea. Others bursting higher in the air, +shrapnel very likely, left large, white, fleecy +clouds just above the skyline, and a third type +burst with a flash of flame, and left brown +clouds of smoke in their wake. + +Higher in the air, all along the front, some +near, some far, some ours, and others the +enemy's, hung nine immense observation +balloons; and soaring in and out among them were +twenty-one aeroplanes by actual count at one +moment. Some of them were being shelled, +for fluffy clouds of smoke were about them +showing the bursting shells from anti-aircraft +guns, and while we watched two machines +engaged in one of those ever-interesting air duels, +out of which one of them came nosing down +into the earth. Whether it was our machine +or an enemy we could not tell at the distance. + +Even the sights on the earth were of interest. +The tall Gothic towers on the hill at +Mt. St. Eloy were silhouetted against the blue of +the sky, on our right. On the extreme left +was an emaciated forest, standing out against +the horizon; and between these two land-marks +were countless acres of cultivated ground, just +about to give forth the first sprouts of the +hoped-for harvest. Here and there the white +walls of the limestone farm houses, with their +red-tiled roofs, broke the monotony; and about +the center of the picture a group of them with +the shell-shattered spire of a church in their +midst formed the village of Villers aux Bois. +To the left of this latter place lay a peaceful +cemetery with some two thousand graves of +British, French, and Canadian soldiers who +had given up their lives on the blood-stained +soil of France in the cause of liberty. +Distinctly we could see through glasses a padre +saying prayers for the dead over the bodies of +some of the allied soldiers which were being +laid in the newly-dug graves. + +Beyond the cemetery a road twisted here +and there, and along it hurried from time to +time motor ambulances, with the large, red +cross on their sides; motor lorries, full of food +and munitions; limbers, painted in vari-colored +patterns, and looking like a calithumpian +procession, to make them inconspicuous against +the earth to the German aviators; large guns +drawn by strings of horses; pack mules with +their burdens of shells; and motor cyclists +hurrying forward or rearward with messages. + +And all this in the cause of the great god, Mars! + + + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Surgeon in Arms, by R. J. Manion + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 58233 *** |