A TICKLISH ATTACK
At one time I was called upon to go to the city of A---- on a particular
errand. While there I had a unique experience. I had gotten a permit
allowing me to remain there over night, which, speaking accurately,
allowed me to leave next day. You have very little difficulty "staying"
in a place as long as you stay, but if you do not have a permit you will
have your troubles when you try to "leave" next day.
All permits in Europe today read "allowed to leave" such and such a
place on such and such a day for another place.
Well, I had gotten my permit to leave A---- on the following day, the
24th. I wandered around over the city viewing the destroyed portions and
making the acquaintance of some womenfolk who ran a restaurant, and at
last I found a hotel and went to sleep. The next morning after breakfast
I left my hotel and made my way up the main street until I came to a
narrow alley-like street with tall buildings on either side, into which
I entered, bent on investigation. I had not gone more than a hundred
feet down this street when I distinctly heard a _boom!_
I did not pay much attention to it, for I thought it was likely some
blasting in the vicinity, and presently I heard another _boom!_
I then looked about and saw a man ahead of me leading a horse hitched to
a high-wheeled vegetable cart, heavily loaded. He was trying to run and
drag along with him, horse, cart, and all. Everybody was running
and--well--I guess I ran, too! I don't know just why I did--I know I
wasn't scared! But some way a feeling inside of me told me I would
rather be in some other place than there. If I was to be killed, I
thought it would be more consolation to the folks at home if my body
wasn't loaded down with hundreds of tons of brick and mortar. For nine
and one-fifth seconds I beat the world's record.
_Boom! Boom! Boom!_
When I got out into the main street again and turned to get my breath,
along with a good many other runners, I saw three airplanes dropping
bombs down on the city at the rate of a hundred in a little over three
minutes, and with the detonations and the reverberations of the
anti-aircraft guns which were being fired, added to the explosions of
the bombs themselves, it just seemed as though the entire atmosphere was
raining bombs. And any way I went, a whole flock of the bombs followed
me. I learned later that an important factory was destroyed and that
forty people were killed. If they had told me forty thousand, I think I
should have believed it. The feeling on such an occasion as this is
indescribable. It is not like any ordinary bombardment when you know the
enemy is letting you have it from only one side--the front. The sense of
utter helplessness when you feel he is all about you and peppering you
from a thousand angles isn't comfortable to say the least. That
afternoon I strolled about the city taking in the ruined districts, and
that evening I set off for my post, complying with the provisions of my
pass. If I hadn't left then, I couldn't have gone at all without a lot
of difficulty.