Chapter 8
CHAPTER VIII. THE COWARD "'Great heavens!' gasped Mr. Merrick, running toward the doctor. "'Are you hit?' Geese looked up at him appealingly, and nodded.
"'Where did it strike you? Was it a bullet or what?' The doctor wrung his hands, moaning pitifully. Uncle John bent over him. "'Tell me,' he said.
"'Tell me, Geese.' "'I'm—I'm scared, sir. Scared stiff. It's that yellow streak in me. I—I can't help it, sir.'
Then he collapsed, crouching lifelessly close to the sand. Uncle John was amazed. He drew back with such an expression of scorn that Geese, lying with face upward, rolled over to hide his own features in the sand. But his form continued to twist and shake convulsively.
Patsy came up with a soldier whose gaudy uniform proclaimed him an officer. He had a rugged, worn face, grey hair, and moustache, stern eyes. His left side was torn and bleeding, where a piece of shell had raked him from shoulder to knee. No moan did he utter as Mr. Merrick and the girl assisted him to one of the swinging beds,
and then Patsy, with white-set face but steady hands, began at once to cut away the clothing and get at the wound. This was her first practical experience, and she meant to prove her mettle or perish in the attempt. Uncle John skipped her over to the sandbag and clutched Geese savagely by the collar.
"'Get up,' he commanded. "'There's a man desperately wounded who needs your best skill—and at once.' Geese pulled himself free and sat up, seeming dazed for the moment. Then he rubbed his head briskly with both hands, collected his nerve, and slowly rose to his feet.
He cast fearful glances at the firing line, but the demand for his surgical skill was a talisman that for a time enabled him to conquer his terror. With frightened backward glances he ran to the ambulance and made a dive into it as if a pack of wolves were at his heels. Suddenly inside one glance at the wounded man caused Geese to siphon suddenly.
He became steady and alert, and noting that Patsy had now bared a portion of the gaping wound, the doctor seized a thermos flask of hot water and in a moment was removing the clotty blood in a deft and intelligent manner. Now came Jones and Morrie bearing the man they had picked up. As they set the stretcher down Uncle John came over.
"'Shall we put him inside?' asked Mr. Merrick. "'No use, I think,' panted the Belgian. "'Where's the doctor?' asked Adjo. Kelsey, who had been busy elsewhere, now approached and looked at the soldier on the stretcher. "'The man is dead,' he said.
"'He doesn't need us now.' "'Off with him then,' cried Morrie, and they laid the poor fellow upon the sand and covered him with a cloth. "'Come then,' urged the little chauffeur excitedly. "'Lots more out there are still alive.
We get one quick.' They left in a run in one direction while Kelsey, who had come to the ambulance for supplies, went another way. Mr. Merrick looked around for the other two girls. Only Maud Stanton was visible through the smoky haze.
Uncle John approached her just as a shell dropped into the sand not fifty feet away. It did not explode but ploughed a deep furrow and sent a shower of stands in every direction. Maud had just finished dressing a bullet wound in the arm of a young soldier, who smiled as he watched her. Then, as she finished the work, he bowed low, muttered his thanks, and catching up his gun
rushed back into the fray. It was a flesh wound, and until it grew more painful he could still fight. "'Where are the Germans?' asked Uncle John. "'I haven't seen one yet.' As he spoke a great cheer rose from a thousand throats.
The line before them wavered an instant, and then rushed forward and disappeared in the smoke of battle. "'Is it a charge, do you think?' asked Maud as they stood peering into the haze. "'I don't know,' he stammered. "'This is so bewildering that it all seems like a dream.
Where's Beth?' "'I don't know.' "'Are you looking for a young lady? A nurse?' asked the voice behind them. "'She's over yonder.'
He swung one arm toward the distant sand dunes. The other was in a sling. "'She has just given me first aid, and sent me to the rear, God bless her.' Then he trailed on, a British Tommy Atkins, while with one accord Maud and Uncle John moved in the direction he had indicated.
"'She mustn't be so reckless,' said Beth's uncle, nervously. "'It's bad enough back here, but every step nearer the firing line doubles the danger.' "'I do not agree with you, sir,' answered Maud quietly. A man was killed not two paces from me a little while ago.' He shuddered and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his handkerchief, but made no
reply. They climbed another line of dunes, and in the hollow beyond came upon several fallen soldiers, one of whom was moaning with pain. Maud ran to kneel beside him, and in a twinkling had the hypodermic needle in his arm. "'Bear it bravely,' she said in French,
"'the pain will stop in a few minutes, and then I'll come back and look after you.' He nodded gratefully, still moaning, and she hurried to rejoin Mr. Merrick. "'Beth must be in the next hollow,' said Uncle John, as she overtook him, and his voice betrayed his nervous tension. I do wish you girls would not be so reckless.'
Yes, they found her in the next hollow, where several men were grouped about her. She was dressing the shattered hand of a soldier, while two or three others were patiently awaiting her services. Just beside her a sweet-faced Sister of Mercy was bending over a dying man, comforting him with her prayers.
Over the ridge of sand could be heard the ping of small arms mingled with the hoarse roar of machine guns. Another great shout, long and enthusiastic, was borne to their ears. "'That is good,' said a tall man, standing in the group about Beth. "'I think from the sound we have captured their guns.'
"'I'm sure of it, Your Majesty,' replied the one whom Beth was attending. "'There, that will do for the present. I thank you. And now let us get forward.' As they ran toward the firing Uncle John exclaimed,
"'His Majesty? I wonder who they are?' "'That,' said the private soldier, an accent of pride in his voice, "'is our Albert.' "'The King?'
"'Yes, Monsieur. He is the tall one. The other is General Mays. I'm sure we have driven the Germans back, and that is lucky, for before our charge they had come too close for comfort.'
"'The King gave me a ring,' said Beth, displaying it. He seemed glad I was here to help his soldiers, but warned me to keep further away from the line. "'The King Albert speaks English perfectly, and told me he loves America better than any other country except his own.'
"'He has travelled in your country,' explained the soldier, "'but then our Albert has travelled everywhere, before he was King.' "'Between them Maud and Beth quickly applied first aid to the others in the group, and then Uncle John said, "'Let us take the King's advice and get back to the ambulance.
We left only Patsy and Dr. Geese there, and I'm sure you girls will be needed.' "'On their return they came upon a man sitting in a hollow, and calmly leaning against a bank of sand smoking a cigarette. He wore a grey uniform. "'Ah, a German!' exclaimed Maud.
She ran up to him and asked, "'Are you hurt?' He glanced at her uniform, nodded, and pointed to his left foot. It had nearly all been torn away below the ankle. A handkerchief was twisted about the leg, forming a rude tourniquet just above the wound,
and this had served to stay the flow of blood. "'Run quickly for the stretcher,' said Maud to Uncle John. "'I will stay with him until your return.' Without a word he hurried away, Beth following. They found on reaching the ambulance that Morrie and Jones had been busy.
Five of the swinging beds were already occupied. "'Save the other one,' said Beth, "'Maud has found a German.' Then she hurried to assist Patsy, as the two doctors had their hands full. Jones and Morrie started away with the stretcher, Uncle John guiding them to the dunes where Maud was waiting,
and presently they had the wounded German comfortably laid in the last bed. "'Now then, back to the ship,' said Geese. "'We have in our care two lives at least that can only be saved by prompt operations.' Morrie got into the driver's seat. "'Careful now,' cautioned Jones beside him.
"'Of course,' replied the Belgians, starting the motor, "'there are many saws inside. But if they get a jolt now and then it will serve to remind them that they are suffering for their country.' He began to back up, for the sand ahead was too deep for a turn, and the way he managed the huge car along the narrow ridge aroused the admiration of Ajo,
who alone was able to witness the marvellous performance. Slowly, with many turns, they backed to the road, where Morrie swung the ambulance around and then stopped with a jerk that drew several groans from the interior of the car. "'What's wrong?' asked Mr. Merrick, sticking his head from a window. "'We nearly ran over a man,' answered Jones, climbing down from his seat.
"'Our front wheels are right against him, but Morrie stopped in time.' Lying flat upon his face, diagonally across the roadway, was the form of a man in a blue-and-red uniform of the Belgian army. Morrie backed the ambulance a yard or so, as Maud sprang out and knelt beside the prostrate form. The firing, which had lulled for a few minutes, suddenly redoubled in fury. There rose a wild, exultant shout, gradually drawing nearer.
"'Quick!' shouted Geese, trembling and wringing his hands. "'The Germans are charging. Drive on, man, drive on!' But Morrie never moved. "'The Germans are charging, sure enough,' he answered, as the line of retreating Belgians became visible. But they must stop here, for we've blocked the road.'
All eyes but those of Maud were now turned upon the fray, which was practically a hand-to-hand conflict. Nearer and nearer came the confused mass of warriors, and then, scarce a hundred yards away, it halted, and the Belgians stood firm. "'He isn't dead,' said Maud, coming to the car. "'Help me put him inside.' "'There is no room,' protested Geese.
The girl looked at him scornfully. "'We will make room,' she replied. A bullet shattered a pane of glass just beside the crouching doctor, but passed on through an open window without injuring anyone. In fact, bullets were singing around them, with a freedom that made others and Dr. Geese nervous. It was chubby little Uncle John who helped Jones carry the wounded man to the ambulance, where they managed to stretch him upon the floor.
This arrangement sent Patsy to the front seat outside, with Morrie and Ajo, although her uncle strongly protested that she had no right to expose her precious life so wantonly. There was little time for argument, however. Even as the girl was climbing to her seat the line of Belgians broke and came pouring toward them. Morrie was prompt in starting the car, and the next moment the ambulance was rolling swiftly along the smooth highway in the direction of Dunkirk, and the sounds of fray grew faint behind them.
