I& I
Over the Top"
By An Americas Soldier
Who Went
ARTHUR GUY EMPE7
china Conner Serving tn Franca
"%vMAneic
1.1 nurJ1J*
>ter I?Fired by the news of
king of the Lusitania by a
a submarine, Arthur Guy Emi
American, leaves his office
ey City and goes to England
he enlists in the British army.
?ter II?After a period of
Empey volunteers for imi
service, and soon finds himrest
billets "somewhere' in
where he first makes the
itance of the ever-present
s."
?ter III?Empey attends his
lurch services at the front
i German Fokker circles over
lgregation.
ter IV?Empey's command
to the front-line trenches and
sr fire for the first time.
|ter V?Empey learns to a
Ie motto 01 tne untisn iomt
you are; going to get it,
;et, so never worry."
ter VI?Back in the rest bilipey
gets his first experience
;ss orderly. .
ter VII?Empey learns how
tish soldiers are fed.
ter VIII?Back in the frontnch,
Empey sees his first
>f the trenches "go West."
ter IX?Empey makes his
it to a dugout in "Suicide
;er X?Empey learns what
tes a "day's work" in the
ie trench.
;er XI?Empey goes "over
" for the first time in a
on the German trenches and
ded by a bayonet thrust,
er XIF?Empey joins the
club" as the bombing squad
YTTT TT.qoIi Tnmmv crofts
1,1 bath.
r XIV?Empey helps dig
need trench under German
sr XV?On "listening post"
an's Land.
sr XVI?Two artillerymen
over" on Old Pepper, their
al commander.
?r XVTT?F.mnev has narrow
|rhile on patrol duty in No
tnd."
sr XVIII?Back in rest biley
write and stages a farce
sr XIX?Soldiers have many
amuse themselves while "on
1 "
ir XX?Empey volunteers
line gun service and goes
) the front-line trenches,
sr XXI?Empey again goes
e top" in a charge which
company 17 killed and 31
r XXII?Trick with a mail
silences one bothersome
r XXIII?German attack,
by gas wave, is repulsed,
h* XXIV?Empey is forced
part in an execution as a
pf the firing squad,
t XXV?British prepare
lig Push?the battle of the
r XXVI?In a trench raid,
[ the Big Push, Empey is
ly wounded and lies uncon|No
Man's Land for 36
[ XXVII?After 4 months
fcsh hospital, Empey is dis[s
"physically unfit for furIsprvipp."
iHAPTER XXVII.
Blighty.
(r flrst-ald nost. after lnocu
I with antitetanus serum to
kjaw, I was put Into an amd
sent to a temporary hosd
the lines. To reach this
e had to go along a road
miles in length. This road
shell fire, for now and then
lid light up the sky?a trecploslon?and
then the road
tremble. We did not mind,
doubt some of us wished
1 would hit us and end our
twaAnalln T mo a r>nf noi*Hnn.
UUUHJ, A TT UiJ UVI. wtvu
S^R^k nothing but bump, jolt, ratBdk
HHHtimes the driver would turn
give us a "Cbeero, mates,
HH be there?" fine fellows,
^^^^Hlance drivers, a lot of them
Mo.
|^^^Hually drew out of the fire
^HBHulled up in front of an lm Hout.
Stretcher-bearers car flHSHwn
a number of steps and
|^^ftn a white table in a brightly
I '
M it i"
AMEWCW SOLWm
lowrar ? *
IlilMJYlMY
WE <MiER,BYI> Ui FRANCE-?
?1917 err
ARTfottttttrprr
'\mmm i
In "Blighty."
leal corps removed my Danaages and j
cut off say tusdc. Then the doctor, |
with his sleeves rolled up, took Charge, j
He winked at m? and I winked j
and then he asked, "How do you feel,
smashed up a bit?"
I answered: "I'm all right, but Td
give a quid for a drink of Bass."
He nodded to the sergeant, who disappeared,
and I'll be darned if he
didn't return with a glass of ale. I
could only open my mouth about a
nnow^Aw aH1 n n InnVi Ktlf T rrnf Q TT7QX7 Xrl fh
v|uai ici y;. uu mv.u| i/ub a u?t?j ?? *-*
every drop of that ale. It tasted Just
like Blighty, and that Is heaven to
Tommy.
The doctor said something to an orderly,
the only word I could catch was
"chloroform," then they put some kind
of an arrangement over my nose and
mouth and it was me for dreamland.
' When I opened my eyes I was lying
J on a stretcher, in a low wooden
building. Everywhere I looked I saw
; rows of Tommies on stretchers, some
dead to the world, and the rest with
fags in their mouths.
The main topic of their conversation
was Blighty. Nearly all had a grin on
their faces, except those who didn't
have enough face left to grin with. I
grinned with my right eye, the other
was bandaged.
Stretcher-bearers came In and be
gan to carry the Tommies outside, xou
could hear the chug of the engines in
the waiting ambulances.
I was put into an ambulance with
three others and away we went for an
eighteen-mile ride.
I was on a bottom stretcher. The
lad right across from me was smashed
up something horrible.
Right above me was a man from the
Royal Irish rifles, while across from
him was a Scotchman.
We had gone about three miles when
I heard the death-rattle in the throat
of the man opposite. He had gone to
rest across tne ureat urnae. i tmnit
at the time I envied him.
The man of the Royal Irish rifles
had had his left foot blown off, the
jolting of the ambulance over the
rough road had loosened up the bandages
on his foot, and had started it
bleeding again. This blood ran down
the side of the stretcher and started
dripping. I was lying on my back, too
weak to move, and the dripping of this j
blood got me in my unbandaged right j
eye. I closed my eye and pretty soon
could not open the lid; the blood had
congealed and closed it, as if it were
glued down.
An English girl dressed in khaki was
driving the ambulance, while beside
hor nn fha coof woo a onmnrnl Af tho
R. A. M. C., They kept up a running j
conversation about Blighty which almost
wrecked my nerves; pretty I
soon from the stretcher above me, the
Irishman became aware of the fact
that the bandage from his foot had bej
come loose; it must have pained him
I horribly, because he yelled in a loud
voice:
"If you don't stop this bloody death
wagon and fix this d bandage on !
| my foot, I will get out and walk."
xne gin on ine seat iurueu uruuuu
and in a sympathetic voice asked, j
"Poor fellow, are you very badly i
wounded?"
The Irishman, at this question, let
out a howl of indignation and answered,
"Am I very badly wounded,
what bloody cheek; no, I'm not wound:
ed, I've only been kicked by a canary
| bird."
The ambulance immediately stopped,
' and the corporal came to the rear and
i fixed him up, and also washed oul: my
11 right eye. I was too weak to thank
1 him, but it was a great relief. Then
j I must have become unconscious, be1J
cause when I regained my senses, the
'1 ambulance was at a standstill, and my
stretcher was being removed from it.
It was night, lanterns were flashing
lb
Kkk1- '.riu .11. w- V' i '
here and there, and I coufd see stretch*
er-b?arers hurrying to and fro. Then
I was carried inte a hospital train.
The inside of this train looked like
heaven to me, just pure white, and we
met our first Red Cross nurses; we
thought they were angels. And they
were. Nice
little soft bunk9 and clean,
white sheets.
A Red Cross nurse sat beside me
during the whole ride which lasted
three hours. She was holding my
wrist; I thought I had made a hit, and
tried to tell her how I got wounded,
but she would put her finger to her lips
and say, "Yes, I know, bui: you mustn't
talk now, try to go to sleep, it'll do you
good, doctor's orders." Later on I
loaroed that she was taking my pulse
every few minutes, as I was very weak
from the loss of blood and they expected
me to snuff It, but I didn't. t
From the train we went Into ambulances
for a short ride to the hospital
ship Panama. Another palace and more
angels. I don't remember the trip
across tie channel.
I opened my eyes; I was being carried
on a stretcher through lanes of
people, some cheering, some waving
flags, and others crying. The flags were
Union Jacks, I was in Southampton.
Blighty at Inst. My stretcher was 1
o+rea-n with flnwers. rlcrnrettes. and
chocolates. Tears started to run down
my cheek from my good eye. I like a
boeby was crying. Can you beat it??
Then Into another hospital train, a
five-hour ride to Paignton, another amoQlaiice
ride, and then I was carried
into Munsey ward of the American ;
Women's War hospital a:ad put into a
real bed.
This real bed was too much for my
unstrung nerves and I fainted.
When I came to, a pretty Red Cross
, nurse was bending over me, bathing
: my forehead with cold water, then she
left and the ward orderly placed a
screen around my bed, and gave me a
much-needed bath and clean pajamas.
Then the screen was removed and a
bowl of steaming soup was given me.
It tasted delicious.
Before finishing my soup the nurse
came back to ask me my name and
number. She put this information down
in a little book and then asked:
"Where do you come from?" 1 anfwered:
"From the big town behind the
Statue of Liberty;" upon hearing this
she started jumping up and down,
clapping her hands, and calling out to
three nurses across the ward:
"Come here, girls?at last we have ,
got a real live Yankee with us."
They came over and besieged me
with questions, until the doctor arrived.
Upon learning that I was an
American he almost crushed my hand
In his grip of welcome. They also
were Americans, and were glad to see
me. The
doctor very tenderly removed
my bandages and told me, after viewing
my wounds, that he would have to
take me to 'the operating theater Immediately.
Personally I didn't care
what was done with me.
In a few minutes, four orderlies who
looked like undprtakers dressed in
white, brought a stretcher to my bed
and placing me on it carried me out of
the ward, across a courtyard to the
operating room or "pictures," as Tom
my calls it. /
I don't remember haying the ane9thestlc
applied.
When I came to I was again lying in '
a bed in Mnnsey ward. One of the
nurses had draped a large American
flag over the head of the bed, and
clasped in my hand was a smaller flag,
and It made me feel good all over to
again see the "Stars and Stripes."
At that time I wondered when the
boys in the trenches would see the
emblem of the "land of the free and
the home of the brave" beside them,
doing its bit In this great war of civilization.
My wounds were very painful, and
several times at night I would dream
that myriads of khaki-clothed figures
would pass my bed and each would
stop, bend over me, and whisper, 'The
best of luck, mate."
Soaked with perspiration I would
awake with a cry, and the night nurse
would come , over and hold my hand.
This awakening got to be a habit with
me until that particular nurse was
tiuncforrpri tn nrinthpr ward.
In three weeks' time, owing to the
careful treatment received, I was able
to s^t up and get my bearings. Our \
ward contained seventy-five patients, j
90 per cent of which were surgical
cases. At the head of each bed hung
a temperature chart and diagnosis
sheet. Across this sheet would be
written "G. S. W." or "S. W.," the former
meaning gun shot wound and the
latter shell wound- The "S. W." predominated,
especially among the Royal
Field artillery and Royn' engineers.
About forty different ments were
represented, and many arguments en- j
sued as to the respective fighting abll-1
lty of each regiment. The rivalry was I
wonderful. A Jock arguing with an |
Irishman, then a strong Cockney accent
would butt In in favor of a London
regiment. Before long a Welsh-1
man, followed by a member of a York- j
shire regiment, and, perhaps, a Cana- j
dlan Intrude themselves and the argument
waxes loud and furious. The
patients in the beds start howling for
thera to settle their dispute outside
and the ward Is in an uproar. The
head sister comes along and with a j
wave of the hand completely routs the
doughty warriors and again silence
reigns supreme.
Wednesday and Sunday of each week
were visiting days and were looked
forward to by^the men, because they
meant parcels containing fruit, sweets
or fags. When a patient had a. regular ;
visitor, he was generally kept well |
supplied with these delicacies. Great
jealousy liTiBown among tEe men a? S
to thalr visitors and many Word war* h
?nsti6 after the viflttqflB Leave. *
When a man is sent to a convales- h
cent home, he generally turns over his h
iBteady visitor to the man in the next tl
bed. h
Most visitors have autograph albums lc
and bore Tommy to death by asking
him to write the particulars of his tl
wounding in eame. Several Tommies h
try to duck this unpleasant Job by tell- a:
ing the visitors that they cannot write,
but this never phases the owner of the a
album; he or she, generally she, offers h
to write It for them and Tommy Is lr
stung into telling his experiences.
The questions asked Tommy by vlsi- A
tors would make a clever joke book F
to a military man. F
Some kindly looking old lady will T
stop at your bed and in a sympathetic j<
voice address you: "You poor boy,
wounded by those terrible Germans, i
Tou must be suffering frightful pain. E
A bullet, did you say? Well, tell me,
I have always wanted to know, did it a:
hurt worse going in or coming out?" ii
Tommy generally replies that he did p
not stop to figure it out when he was h
hit fl
One very nice-looking, overenthusl- a
astic young thing, stopped at my bed t<
and asked, "What wounded you in the a
face?" d
In a polite but bored tone I an- o
swered, "A rifle bullet." I n
With ? lnnlr nf rilarinln she rmgfied h
to the next bed, first ejaculating, "Oh I t<
Only a bullet? I thought It was n n
shell." Why she should think a shell a
wound was more of a distinction beats q
me. I don't see a whole lot of differ- a
ente myself. b
The American Women's War hospl- e
tal was a heaven for wounded men. h
They were, allowed every privilege pos- n
slble conducive with the rules and mill- tl
tary discipline. The only fault was a
that the men's passes were restricted. F
To get a pass required an act of parliament
Tommy tried many tricks to h
get out, but the commandant, an old S:
Boer war officer, was wise to them all, k
and it took k new and clever ruse to n
make him affix Us signature to the ^
coveted slip of paper. e
As noon as it would get dark many a tl
patient climbed over the wall and went a
"on bit own," regardless of many signs
t
staring him in the face, "Out of bounds
for patients." Generally the nurses A
were looking the other way when one **
of these night raids started. I hope
this information will get none of them "
Into trouble, but I cannot resist the "
temptation to let the commandant P
know that occasionally we put it over 81
on him. c<
One afternoon I received a note, f1
through our underground channel, from
my female visitor, asking me to attend ?
a party at her house that night- I ?
answered that she could expect me and
to meet me at a certain place on the J1
road well known by all patients, and "
some visitors, as "over the wall." I
told her I would be on hand at seven- ^
thirty.
About seven-fifteen I sneaked my r
overcoat and cap out of the ward and .
hid it in the bushes. Then I told the .
nurse, a particular friend of mine, that
I was eolne for a walk in the rose gar- ?
den. She winked and I knew that ev- **
erylihlng was all right on her end.
Going out of the ward, I slipped Into 8<
the bushes and made for the wall. It f*
was dark as pitch and I was groping *j
through the underbrush, when sudden- "
ly I stepped into space and felt myself
rushing downward, a horrible bump,
and blackness. When I came to my
wounded shoulder was hurting horribly.
I was lying against a circular
wall of bricks, dripping with moisture,
and far away I could hear the trickling
of water. I had in the darkness fallen
into an old disused well. But why
wasn't I wet? According to all rules
I should1, have been drowned. Perhaps
I was and didn't know it
As the shock of my sudden stop
gradually wore off it came to me that j
I was lying on a ledge and tiiat the
least movement on my part would precipitate
me to the bottom of the well.
I struck a match. In its faint glare
I saw that I was lying In a circular
hole about twelve feet deep?the well
had been filled in! The dripping I had
heard came from a water pipe over on
mv rieht. !
With my wounded shoulder it was
Impossible to shinny up the pipe. I
could not yell for help, because the
rescuer would want to know how the
accident happened, and I would be
haled before the commandant on
charges. I Just had to grin and bear
it, with the forlorn hope that one of
the returning night raiders would pass
and I could give him our usual signal
of "alss-s-s-s," which would bring him
to the rescue.
Every half-hour I could hear the
clock In the village strike, each stroke
bringing forth a muffled volley of u
curses on the man who had dug the _
well.
After two hours I heard two men
talking in low voices. I recognized S1
Corporal Cook, an ardent "night raid- j F
er." He heard my "slss-s-s-s" and | 81
came to the edge of the hole. I ex-!
plained my predicament and amid a lot |
of impertinent remarks, which at the d
time I did not resent, I was soon fished b]
out lc
'ToIrlnCT nfP sini* KnAfa ttta anoo\rar\ JnfA
xuix iiig vu. uui UV;WLOJ nc auv,uu\.u
the ward. I was sitting on my bed in . *'
the dark, Just starting to undress, I
when the man next to me, "Ginger" j*
Phillips, whispered, " 'Op it, Yank, 'ere hi
comes the matron.?
I Immediately got under the covers
and feigned sleep. The matron stood c
talking in low tones to the; night nurse f1
and I fell asleep.
When I awoke In the morning the 1
:nlght sister, an American, was bending
over me. An awful, sight met my eyes. 31
.The coverlet on the bed and. the sheets 11
jyrwa iy masa of mud and green ailing. ?
^ ,?"v.V"
... .'> r:
he was a good sporf air rfgK, iand
ustled to get deen clothes and sheets
i that no oae trtrald get tflse, btft "on
er own" she gave me a good tongue
ishlng bnt did not report me. One of
le Canadians in the ward. described
er as being "a Jake of a good fel>w."
Next visiting day I had an awful
me explaining to my visitor why I
ad not met her at the appointed time
ad place.
And for a week every time I passed
patient he would call, "Well, well,
ere's the Yank. Hope you are feellg
well, old top."
The surgeon in our ward was an
merican, a Harvard unit man, named
rost. We nicknamed him "Jack
tost." He was loved by all. If a
ommy was to be cut up he had no obiction
to undergoing the operation If
Jack Frost" was to wield the knife,
heir confidence in him was pathetic,
te was the best sport I have ever met
One Saturday morning the command*
nt and some "high up" officers were
ispecting the ward, when one of the
atients who had been wounded in the
ead by a bit of shrapnel, fell on the
oor in a fit They brought him round,
nd then looked for the ward orderly
> carry the patient back to his bed
t the other end of the ward. The or
eriy wu? iiuwutrre iu ue iouqu?use
ur policemen, they never are when
eeded. The officers were at a losa
ow to get Palfaer iiito his bed. Docjr
Frost was fidgeting around in a
ervous manner, when suddenly with
muffled "d n" and a few other
ualifying adjectives, he stooped down
nd took the man In his arqM like a
aby?he was no feather, Either?and
taggered down the ward with hirn, put
lm in bed and undressed hlra. A low
lurmur of approval came from the patents.
Doctor Frost got very red, and
s soon as he had finished undressing
'aimer, hurriedly left the ward.
The wound in my face *had almost
ealed and I was a horrible-looking
[ght?the left cheek twisted into a
not. the .eve milled dnwn. und mv
louth pointing in a north by northwest
direction. I was very downheartd
and could imagine myself during
tie rest of my life being shunned by
11 or account of the repulsive scar.
Doctor Frost arranged for me to go
0 the Cambridge Military hospital at
Idershot for a special operation to
y and make the scar presentable.
1 arrived at the hospital and got an
ppful shock. The food was poor and
le discipline abnormally strict J^o
atient was allowed to sit on his bed,
ad smoking was permitted- only at
>rtaln designated hours. The face
jeclalist did nothing for me except
> look at the wound. I made appll*
itlon for a transfer back to Paignton,
Efering to pay my transportation,
his offer was accepted, and after two
eeks' absence, once again I arrived
i Munsey ward, all hope gone.
The next day after my return Doc>r
Frost stopped at my bed and said:
Well, Empey, if you want me to try
ad see what I can do with that scar
11 do It, but you are talcing an awful
bance."
I answered: "Well, doctor, Steve
rodle took a chance; he halls from
[ew York and so do L"
Two days after the undertaker
juad carried me to the operating
)om or '"pictures," as we called them
ecause of the funny films we see uner
ether, and the operation was perjrmed.
It was a wonderful piece o1
1
he Author Just Before Leaving for
Home.
lrgery and a marvelous success,
rom now on that doctor can have my
lirt
More than once edme poor soldier
as been brought Into the ward In a
ying condition, resulting from loss of
lood and exhaustion caused by his
ing Journey from the trenches. After
a examination the doctor announces
lat the only thing that will save him
i a transfusion of blood. Where Is
ie blood to come from? He does not
ave to wait long for an answer?sevi-al
Tommies immediately volunteer
ielr blood for their mate. Three or
>ur are accepted; a blood test is
lade, and next day the transfusion
ikes place and there Is another pale
tee In the ward.
Whenever bone Is needed for some
peclal operation, there are always
len willing to give some?a leg If
ecessary to save some mangled mate
:om being crippled for Ufe?- More
v ... ; jl _
"than one man will go tbrotogb flfe'Wltfi
aaother tu an's blood fBnnlqg-itaoach.
bis veins, ojr a piece of Ms t!l> or h|?
shinbaue in his I iknsf*
times be nevsr svenksowsthe nana of
Us benefactor.
The spirit of sacrifice Is wonderful.
For all the suffering caused this war
is a blessing to England?it has-ma da
new men of her sons; has welded all
classes into one glorious whole.
And I can't help saying that the doetors,
sisters, and nurses in the English
hospitals, are angels on earth. I lova
them all and can never repay the care
and kindness shown to me. For the
rest of my life the Bed Cross will be
to me the .symbol of Faith, Hope and
Charity.
After four months In the hospital, I
went before an examining board and
was discharged from the service of his
Britannic majesty as "physically unfit
for further war service."
A At 1.1 T J
aiiw u?j uiBuuu^e x nimqii: jJUlIf
age*on the American lines New York,
and after a. stormy trip across the Atlantic
one momentous day, in the haze J
of early dawn, I saw the statue of lib
erty looming over the port rail, and I '
wondered If ever again I would g9i
"oyer the top with the best of luck"
and give them helL"
And even then, though it may seem
strange, I was really sorry not to b?
back In the trenches with my mates.
War Is not a pink tea, but In a worthwhile
cause Uke ours, mud, rats, cooties*
shells, wounds, or death Itself, are
far . outweighed by the deep sense of
satisfaction felt by the man whodoea
his bit.
There is one thing which my ex
MU(UI IUO uiui lui^ui uciy uiv
boy who may have to go. It Is this?
anticipation Is far worse than realization.
In civil life a man stands in. awa
of the man above htm, wonders how he
could ever fill his job. 'When the time
comes he . rises to the occasion, is op >
and at it, and Is snrptfsed to And how
much more easily than he. anticipated
, he fills his responsibilities. It la really
so "out there."
He has nerve for the hardships; the
Interest of the work grips him; he finds
relief in the fun and comradeship of
the trenches and wins that best sort at
happlneea that comes with duty waU
done. [
THE END,' J
NEWSPAPER WORK IS MILI- ^
TARY NECESSITY SAYS WILSON
Sacramento, Cal., May 15.?The
appeal to President Wlison by James
G. Scripps, newspaper publisher of
San Diego, Cal., for deferred classification
in the draft on the ground
that he was engaged in work of military
necessity,, has -been granted,
according to a telegram received by v
Governor William. D. Stephens,
from Provost Marshal General E.
H. Crowder.
Scripps applied for deferred classification
but the exemption board
denied the application and placed
him in class one. He applied to the
president, who ordered him placed
in class four, division D.
i
BAPTISTS GIVE WOMEN VOTE.
?? f
I Dr. Gambrell, of Dallas, Tex., Re
- i ?* - ?.! 1 U-i
elected rretiaem- or me nui
Spring* Convention.
%
Hot Springs, Ark., May 16?Harmony
is the word at the sixty-third
session of the Southern- Baptist Convention,
which had smooth sailing
in its first day's proceedings.
Dr. James B. Gambrell, of Dallas
Texas, was re-elected president of
the convention without Opposition.
John D. Mell, of Athens, Ga., was
chosen one of the vice presidents,
while Governor Charles^ Hillman
Brough, of Arkansas, was made another.
Dr. W. C. McConnell, of Atlanta,
led the fight for woman suffrage,
and after a three-hour discussion
yesterday afternoon, women of the
Southern Baptist churches were
granted full and equal rights with
men in the convention of the church
MUST HAVE THE
PRESS AND BANNER
Evanston, 111., May 16, 1918.
My dear Editor:
Find enclosed money order for
$3.00 on my subscription, will pay
up in full' soon as I can. You need
never worry baout getting the sub|
scription price as long as a "Bass"
remains in the family. Years ago
when the kind Mr. Hugh Wilson was
editor I remember paying him at
one time $7.00 for paper dues. KindI
ness along these lines is never lost,
to people of limitd means. Everything
you know is up yonder these
davs. but I must have my county
paper. Our friend Mr. Frank Carwile's
letters to the paper are worth
the price of subscription. Some
years ago we were adjoining neighbors
and always known him to be a
straight, honorable Christian gentleman.
Thanking you dear editor, for
your kind waiting without kicking.
Your subscrbier,
John W. Bass.