WHERE NO HATE IS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3041, 30 March 1917, Page 6

WHERE NO HATE IS

(By Captain A. W. Bird, in the Melbourne "Argus.")

Crump: A high explosive shell alights, not exactly 611 tLe top of tho dug-out, but sufficiently near it to bring down a shower of sand, half burying the men on the stretchers. For this dug-out is a British advanced dressing station. For the third time that afternoon the medical officer and his three orderlies clear away the debris. "The Boche necms to think that wa are of great military value, by the way he keeps shelling us," says the M.O. "It's lucky we're safely buried down here." He does not think that they are at all safely buried, but he thinks it well to say so. A couple of stretcher-bearers, their steel helmets on their heads, stumble down into'the low dug-out'with their stretcher. . \ "An officer, sir. Shrapnel wound, right leg, severe." 'Tut him .down here," says the M.O. ' ■He examines tho wound, and replaces the dressing, hastily applied.by the stretcher-bearers, with a larger one It is evident that the foot must be amputated, and he feels a pang'of sorrow for this lad, who. does not look more than one and twenty. "Have a cigarette?" he says. "Thank you." "Get something over that leg to protect it in case the roof falls,in again," says the M.O. to an-orderly.

- The latter improvises a "cage" with a couple of short boards.' He is just in time, for there is a terrific explosion, and for a moment they all think that their dug-out has been demolished. But the main roof has lield, though more sand : has covered the patients and the 'entrance is almost completely blocked. .

The patients arc excavated again. The officer's leg'.lias been saved from further damage by the improvised cage. Then the entrance has to bo freed. The M.O. prays for darbioss, when he can evacuate his wounded. _, At length ; darbioss comes, .without further adventure, for the German gunnei& have altered their target. A motor ambulance has'crept up a sunken road to within a, hundred yards of the advanced dressing station, and the wounded, including the officer with the damaged leg, are cairied to it. - ' 'Right away." . The car bumps off into ■ the night. No lights must bo shown, and the road has suffered severely from shells. But the driver has reconnoitred it by daylight, and" steers 'a skilful course. . "." A German shell rumbles over their, heads and pitches 50 yards ahead i of them. • .: "I shan't mind getting this lot safely home;" says the driver to tho reserve driver who sits beside him. The shell has. fallen at the side of the road, and they skirt the new shell-hole, the outside wheel not six inches from the ditch. ' Another quarter of a mile, and they pull up before what has once been a chateau. A large chateau, too, with' excellent, roomy cellars, and these are now a field ambulance. "What have you got?" asks a voice. "Six liers." -..'... The six "liers" —thus styled, to distinguish them'from "sitters"—are carried in. •■' ' . ' An 31-0. comes and examines the officer's leg- ' , '■ "I'm afraid we shall have to ampu v tato," he says. . \ - . "All right." ••■ "We will do it here. It should! be done at once, and your friends are putting over such, a heavy barrage that it will bo better for you to stay here than to go back, to-night." You will wonder at the words "lour Friends," for I find that I omitted to .mention-that,- though the officer speaks excellent English, lie is a Prussian officer. That is why I havi called this "Where No Hate Is."