BACK TO GOD'S COUNTRY
I spent the two nights following at the wagon lines, taking a
much-needed rest, and after my first night's sleep there I sought out a
spot in a grassy nook, as far away from the road and bustle of the lines
as I could safely go, and lay at full length on the green sward; I felt
as if I wanted to lie there forever, without even exerting myself to
think. As the sun was setting, I awoke from my day dream, and my stomach
felt the call of the cookhouse.
On the day following, one of my chums, Mulhall and myself were ordered
to go to the line, gathering up the horses that were wounded or had
fallen out through exhaustion. Our errand of mercy to the dumb animals
had to be done on horseback, and, with the roads still under
observation, it was dangerous for more than two men to go together.
We corralled several of the poor beasts, and their condition of
suffering in many instances smote me with a kind of remorse; I couldn't
help feeling that we humans were responsible for the pain and misery of
these most useful animals that bounteous nature had put upon earth for
our comfort and help. We placed them in the ruins of a barn, made them
as comfortable as we could, and left them with a supply of water; for
feed they had to wait.
It is with much pleasure that I can commend the splendid work in
connection with caring for these wounded and sick horses that is being
done at the front by the societies organized for that purpose. The
amount of suffering alleviated in this, the noblest animal of all, would
be ample justification for the work done; but the economic advantage
derived in addition makes the object of the societies most worthy in
character. Two of the horses that were only slightly wounded I pulled to
the line, and as they were inclined to lie down at every step of the
way, the condition of my arms when I reached my destination may be
imagined; every nerve and muscle from the shoulder down was aching.
When we got to the line, Fritz was retaliating on the Ridge and a heavy
bombardment was in progress; our guns were vigorously answering, and
over we ran to the gun pit, getting into the game with both feet. After
an hour's hard drubbing, I took occasion to step over and see a man
whose friendship I had never ceased to curry--the cook, and I was just
swallowing the first mouthful of the fruits of my friendship when my joy
was rudely interrupted by an orderly.--"The Major wants to see you,
Grant." Over I went, wondering what was up, and ransacking my noodle for
some breach of discipline of which I might have been guilty.
"Did you want to see me, sir?"
"Yes, Grant," smiled the Major; two officers were standing by and they
beamed on me in a fashion that made me think my future mother-in-law had
gone on a long journey. "Listen carefully, Grant," said the Major, as he
started to read something. I paid strict attention and I could scarcely
believe my ears as the true import of the communication commenced to
dawn upon me;--the G.O.C. had granted me a furlough and I was instructed
to return to Canada immediately on a three-months' leave of absence. I
was walking on air for a few minutes, and it was quite some little time
before I could make myself really believe I wasn't dreaming.
I lost no time in bidding my pals good-bye, and when I had convinced
them that it was an actual fact, the gun Sergeant said, "Fellows,
Grant's going; we'll give him the best we've got; ten rounds of gun
fire. Ready! Fire!" and ten ear-drum splitters clove the air. I had no
cotton in my ears and the effects of that farewell stayed with me
several minutes after I left. I then went to say good-bye to the man
whose friendship I had always nursed, my good friend the cook. He urged
me to wait while he fixed me up the feed of my life, as he expressed it,
and you can understand the state of my feelings when I tell you that I
refused his bounty. I never did such a thing in my life!
I turned to go and found myself face to face with the Major. "What the
hell are you hanging around here for? Didn't I tell you to beat it to
the wagon lines before you got hit? Do you think your horseshoe luck is
going to stay with you forever? While you have got your furlough in your
hand, beat it!"
I hastened my steps. On the way I passed the burial party who were
laying to their last rest the men who had fallen the night before, and
as I glanced at the faces of the boys who would never again see their
beloved Canadian homes, tears, for the first time in many long months,
welled up into my eyes.
I doubled from there to a battery in the rear to say farewell to my
cousin Hughie, and while going from pit to pit in his battery, looking
for him, the guns were speaking as fast as they could, and retaliation
from Germany was blasting its way through the air. Right at this moment
the Major's warning was most beautifully exemplified; a splinter struck
me in the cheek, flooring me and knocking out two teeth in the upper
left jaw. When I recovered my balance, the diligence I exercised in
getting away from the scene of activity would have satisfied even the
Major; besides, I was doubly anxious that he should not know of my
mishap, as he would be bound to twit me unmercifully.
Holding my jaw, I made my way carefully to one of the horses I had
brought up, mounted, and kicked the poor brute in the ribs every step of
the way back to the wagon line. My feelings of sympathy for the animal
were completely submerged in the feeling in my jaw, my haste to get to a
dressing station, and home. For fear it would reach the Major's ears, I
told the doctor at the dressing station that the horse had kicked me. He
washed and dressed it with a bandage, but just before getting to the
wagon lines I removed it.
Here I had another hard time convincing the fellows that I was off for
home, but when they saw me go to the paymaster and draw 50 francs, they
were constrained to believe that there must be something in it, and I
was the recipient of hearty congratulations and well wishes. Forty of
the francs went for champagne and eats; I felt that this might be the
last time I would have the opportunity to enjoy the company of many of
them.
I departed next morning in the mess cart, and just before leaving I had
another send-off;--the entire wagon lines paraded and gave me a parting
cheer. Again the tears!
I arrived at Béthune, boarded a French civilian train and traveled for
five hours, reaching a junction point where, in company with a number of
wounded men who were able to walk, I boarded a box car.
The train was traveling at a funereal pace and the weather turned
sharply cold; neither the wounded nor the well men, with one exception,
had any blankets; the exception had seven blankets that he monopolized,
refusing to share an inch of them with anyone. Such unparalleled
hoggishness and meanness never went unpunished at the front, and I
resolved that he would be no exception to the rule. In order to take the
chill off ourselves, we jumped off the train every chance we got,
gathering up some coal, until we had accumulated enough to make a
fair-sized fire, which we kindled on the floor of the car; it was
necessary to shove the burning coals here and there over the surface to
avoid burning a hole through it. At one point I noticed a horse-car
filled with straw bedding for the animals, and the train going here at a
snail's pace enabled me to jump off and chuck an armful of the straw
into our car; I did this with my friend of the blankets in mind. I threw
the damp straw on top of the live coals and in a few minutes or less the
car was filled with rank, reeking smoke that fairly made the eyes water.
Up jumped the blanket monopolist, rushed to the window for a breath of
air, and while inhaling the ozone I chucked his blankets out of the car
door. When he returned to his nest, which was a nest no longer, he swore
several swears, both large and small, but he was forced to fare like the
rest of us,--on the bare boards.
All this time the pain in my jaw was gradually getting worse. A
swelling had started and I was feeling a little the worse for wear.
It was morning when we reached Abbeville Station, where we were to wait
until night before being able to resume our journey. Here there was a
horrible mass of dead horses--about 500 in all--lying in the railroad
yards; they had died in the cars on the way back for treatment. It was a
fearsome sight.
In an hour or so my face was commencing to throb violently, and I hunted
up the nearest dressing station, which was a casualty clearing station,
and addressed myself to the nurse.
"What's the matter, Canada?" she asked, looking at my jaw.
"Why, I got hit, nurse."
"I can plainly see that, but what makes it that color? It looks like
gangrene! Come in and see the doctor."
He examined me and found there was a piece left sticking there; I would
have to be operated on at once, he said, and there was no time lost
getting down to business. He extracted a small splinter.
"See that this man is put to bed at once; gangrene has just started."
When I got off the table my face was so bound up in bandages that only
my nose and one eye were visible.
"Go to bed, now," said the nurse. "Oh, no, I can't," I said; "I have got
to leave at once."
"No, no, you mustn't do anything of the kind; you must go to bed at once
and have the closest care for some weeks." She fixed up a cot for me in
the station and I went to bed. After lying there for three hours I asked
her if I might go up to the station and get my kit, that I had some
valuable souvenirs I didn't want to lose, and that I would like to
present her with some of them. She let me go, and at the station I saw
some box cars going through. Grabbing my kit, I slung myself aboard and
reached a station by nightfall, where I got off and waited for the
through train, which finally came along. The fellows on board with whom
I had become acquainted on the way down, told me the hospital orderly
was searching for me high and low.
After another wearisome day aboard those unspeakable box-cars, I reached
the base. My jaw, although not throbbing so fiercely, was still
painfully troublesome, and I sought out one of the hospitals and had to
swallow the unwelcome news that the condition of my face was such that
it would be necessary to luxuriate in a hospital bed for a week or ten
days, which I did.
The kindness of the nurses was beyond praise, and the efforts for the
wounded men left nothing to be desired; there was absolutely every
provision for the health and well-being of the men. The wonderful
organization of the British Red Cross and its workings in this war will
go down through the pages of history as the one spot in the nation's
management of the campaign that is absolutely flawless.
At the end of ten days I was permitted to leave the hospital, with the
understanding that I would take good care of myself and report daily for
dressing. I then went to the Y.M.C.A., making my home there for three or
four days, and here, also the treatment accorded me was most
praiseworthy; the provision made for the men's recreation will remain a
lasting tribute to this most beneficial organization.
I left the boys for England, embarking on board ship at 5:00 o'clock in
the evening, leaving about an hour later. On the way over submarines
were reported in the channel, but my horseshoe luck was still with me,
and I made the tight little isle in safety next morning. I arrived at
Southampton the latter part of May. My first errand in England was to
report to the O.C. at Camp Shorncliffe. Then I made haste to look up my
brother Billy, who was in the hospital 200 miles away. On my way to the
camp I happened to meet a pal of Billy's, and was delighted to learn
that he was well and out of hospital, fully recovered from his wound in
the thigh, and in a few minutes' time we were gripping hands.
I never before realized the large measure of affection in our hearts for
each other as I did on that morning. It seemed as if we had both been
through the Valley of the Shadow and had been led safely through by an
all-wise and bountiful Father.
In due time I embarked at Liverpool, on board the Mistress of the Seas,
the S.S. _Olympic_, the largest passenger boat afloat. For three days we
lay in the channel, awaiting our escort, four torpedo boat destroyers,
and, finally, as the wheel of the mighty leviathan commenced churning
the waters, I knew we were really off for home!
In starting, we followed the course mapped out for us by three or four
of the little channel pilot boats that threaded their way through the
maize of mines placed in the water there, and by night time we were on
the bosom of the Atlantic.
The following day was quiet, nothing happened to interrupt the usual
monotony of an ocean voyage, but that night at 9:15 the ship from stem
to stern was thrown into a turmoil of excitement by the firing of a gun
and the terrifying word--"Submarine!" The boat was darkened, not a light
showing, and everyone was rushing from their cabins in a mad state for
life belts, utterly ignoring the rigid command not to leave their
portholes open and expose the lights of the vessel. It was worse than
confusion confounded!
I had been appointed one of provo N.C.O.'s, and my duty was to see that
everybody was supplied with a lifebelt, wear it at all times except when
going to bed, and then they were ordered to have them at hand in case of
emergency. Although some of the people obeyed the instructions to the
letter, even going so far as to sleep in them, many others neglected the
order.
Some idea of the sense of responsibility on the Captain and his crew can
be had when I state that 1400 women and children on board were in his
absolute care and keeping. Everything possible was done to calm the
frantic people; nothing could convince them that that single shot had
sunk the sub. But so indeed it was! The steady nerve and unfailing aim
of the gunner had done the trick, and there was no more danger to be
feared from that particular snake of the sea. The gunner was an old
man-o'-war's man and was completely overwhelmed by the grateful and
heartfelt thanks of the passengers, he, in his native modesty,
apparently thinking he hadn't done any more than he ought to have
done,--which indeed was very true. But if he had missed!
There was only one sad mishap throughout the entire excitement. A woman,
losing her head and trying to climb into a lifeboat, before she was
ordered to do so, and carrying her baby in her arms at the time, as she
was clambering up the rail of the vessel to get into the boat, let her
baby slip from her arms into the dark waters below. With a frenzied
scream, she seemed as if about to throw herself after her little one,
but strong hands caught her and prevented.
In spite of the watchful eyes of the four escorts plowing along at each
corner of the vessel, and signaling constantly, never for a moment
during the time we were in the submarine zone did the ship cease its
zigzagging course, and lookouts were stationed on every point of the
boat from which observations could be had.
The trip was made in perfect safety and I arrived in Halifax, Nova
Scotia, five and a half days from the time I left Liverpool.
At last I was on the train for home! I commenced to count the minutes on
the last lap of my journey, and no blushing young girl, making her
début, was any more excited than I was when the iron horse choo-chooed
into the station at Ottawa two days later. As fast as a taxi could make
the trip without violating the rigors of the law against speeding, I
dashed homeward. I had sent no word ahead to my people, as I wanted to
give them a complete surprise and I succeeded most admirably, my
favorite sister fainting as I entered the door.