FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122  
123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   >>  
useless to describe the horrors that I witnessed, or try to do justice to the heroic way those first glorious wounded of this lengthy war accepted their fate. I cannot, however, resist mentioning the endurance of a big black Senegalais, who won the admiration of both doctors and neighbors by refusing morphine or cocaine, and insisting on having the seven bullets that were lodged in his neck and throat withdrawn thus--never uttering a murmur! When it was over, and we finally laid him back on his pillow, the tears were rolling down his cheeks and he squeezed my hand in his big black paw and then gently drew it to his lips. How many wounded were there? I did not count. All I remember was that I promised to come the next day and write letters to wives, mothers and sweethearts of at least a dozen men and boys. It was late when the last basin was emptied and Dr. Masbrennier untied his apron. As we were washing up, I asked if he would be good enough to guide me out of the hospital and tell me where there was a respectable restaurant to which a woman might go alone. "I have neither hat, coat, nor gloves. They're coming in the carts." "That's so; perhaps you haven't had anything since lunch and I've been making you work on an empty stomach!" "Worse than that!" I laughed. "What?" "Nothing since breakfast at Jouy-le-Chatel." "Good God, woman!" And taking me by the arm, he hurried me down the hall. As we passed out of the entrance door, a superior officer stopped Dr. Masbrennier and though I advanced out of earshot the words, "evacuation" and "to-night" were distinctly audible. A second later my companion caught up with me. "So sorry I can't accompany you, but the whole hospital goes to Orleans immediately. Must make room for the new-comers! I'll 'phone home. The _gouvernante_ will make you comfortable." And he continued to give me explicit directions how to reach his house. "You'd better come to Orleans where we can look after you." "Sorry, but I've gone far enough south." "_Alors au revoir et grand merci._" "_Au revoir._" And a second later I found myself outside in the chilly darkness. For the first time in my life I had the sensation of being utterly alone. No one on earth knew where I was and if I had not had faith in Dr. Masbrennier's promise of a warm dinner, I should gladly have indulged in a little fit of despair. And so I wandered on down the dingy, black streets of M
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122  
123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   >>  



Top keywords:
Masbrennier
 

revoir

 

Orleans

 

hospital

 

wounded

 
stomach
 
distinctly
 

audible

 
accompany
 

caught


evacuation

 

companion

 
earshot
 

Chatel

 
superior
 

entrance

 
hurried
 
passed
 

taking

 

officer


laughed

 

advanced

 

Nothing

 

stopped

 

breakfast

 

sensation

 

utterly

 

darkness

 

chilly

 

despair


wandered

 
streets
 

indulged

 

gladly

 

promise

 
dinner
 

making

 
gouvernante
 

continued

 
comfortable

comers
 

immediately

 
explicit
 
directions
 

lodged

 

throat

 
withdrawn
 

bullets

 
morphine
 

refusing