Boy Scouts on Belgian Battlefields

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  AFTER THE FIGHTING WAS OVER.

  The horses had been urged on at considerable speed, in order to arriveupon the scene of action, for the animals began to show evidences ofexhaustion long before they reached a position back of the Belgiantrenches. That may have been one of the reasons why they were haltedtemporarily, at the time the head nurse talked with the three BoyScouts.

  As they approached the battle line Rob and his friends became intenselyinterested. They saw the heads of the defenders of the trenches thrustup to observe their coming, and heard the hearty ringing cheers withwhich the Red Cross nurses were greeted.

  Men sprang out to assist them, so that apparently it would be no hardtask to find plenty of recruits to handle the stretchers upon which thewounded could be carried to the hastily constructed field hospital inthe rear, where the surgeons would soon be busily employed.

  Tubby was still looking very white, but he had made up his mind that hewould go through with this wonderful experience even if he fainted deadaway. All that was stubborn in his nature had come to the surface; andRob, after noticing this, made up his mind Tubby was going to take along step forward before another sun had set.

  Now they were on the other side of the trenches. There was considerablebustle. Nurses commenced to spread out over the field, on which some menlay groaning and others very still.

  The assistants with the stretchers, upon whose arms had been fastenedbadges bearing the sacred red cross, began to carry off such of thewounded as they found needed urgent attention.

  "Come on, boys, let's see where we can help out!" said Rob, trying toappear perfectly cool and collected, but at the same time knowing thathis knees were inclined to knock together, so that he could not blamepoor Tubby for feeling as he did.

  They started out. At first all of them stuck together, for the sightsthey soon saw filled them with a sense of horror, as well as compassion.

  Never were Boy Scouts placed in a position where they had more reason tobe thankful for what little knowledge of surgery they had attained.

  The American nurse may have felt considerable doubt as to whether shehad done a wise thing in affording these boys a chance to assist the RedCross upon the battlefield. Rob saw that she hovered near them, asthough keeping an eye on what they did.

  It was a dreadful experience for those boys, to be thus brought in closecontact with the dead and the dying; they could never forget what theysaw there that day.

  Even Tubby braced up when he found that he could be useful in helpingthe others. He had secured a bucket of water, and when he heard somepoor fellow cry out, or saw him make frantic gestures, it was hisbusiness to hurry over and supply his wants. No matter what uniform thewounded man wore, it did not make a bit of difference; since the RedCross recognizes neither friend nor foe, but treats all alike.

  It is possible to get accustomed to almost anything in this world. Notone of those boys would have imagined a short time before this that theycould find courage and nerve enough to walk in the midst of suchcarnage; and yet they were actually doing it now.

  As Rob and Merritt finished binding up the leg of a poor fellow whowould soon have bled to death but for their coming, the nurse who hadmeanwhile come up behind them commended their work.

  "It was excellently done, I want you to know," she told them, "and I canplainly see that I need have no further fears concerning your ability tobe of much assistance here. Do all you can, my brave boys, but remembernot to go too far. You are not accustomed to such sights, and it mayaffect you in the end."

  She hurried away to take up her own labors, leaving the boys with aproud sense of having done their duty as genuine scouts should, tryingto be of use to others in sore need.

  For an hour, yes two of them, they continued to work there, while thestretcher bearers and the ambulances bore the victims of the lateconflict back in apparently an unending procession. Those poor fellowswho had no further need of attention were of course allowed to remainjust as they had fallen; and by degrees the wounded were weeded out, tobe taken care of back of the desperately defended lines, where the RedCross floated from the canvas field hospital.

  Tubby had about reached the end of his endurance. They could see that hewas certainly getting very wabbly on his feet, for often he stumbled ashe moved around with his bucket and dipper, seeking a stray woundedsoldier who might have been overlooked, so as to supply water to quenchhis raging thirst.

  The sun looked down from a cloudless September sky, and it was very hotfor the advanced season of the year. Far off in the distance thosenever-ceasing German guns still kept up their muttering as they sentshells into some fortified place. The battle in this particular fieldwas apparently not going to be renewed; for already some of the Belgianbatteries were being taken away, to face a new quarter where, accordingto their air scouts, the enemy meant to next try a forward movement.

  Terrible though the experience may have been to all the boys, none ofthem had any regrets. The grateful looks and words they had receivedrepaid them tenfold for all the nerve-racking ordeals through which theyhad gone.

  "I think it's queer, though," Merritt was saying to Rob, as they walkedaround in search of any wretched victim whom they might assist, "thatnot a single German has been out on the battlefield to render first aid.I don't understand it at all. They've got as fine surgeons as any in theworld, and the Red Cross works with their armies the same as with allthe rest."

  "I was bothering my head about that, too, since you mention it," Robannounced.

  "What did you make up your mind was the cause of it?" continued Merritt,who had considerable respect for the opinions and decisions of the EaglePatrol leader.

  "It means either one of two things," he was told. "It may be thesettled policy of the Germans in their rush to push through Belgium andNorthern France to leave their wounded to be taken care of by the enemy,whenever the battle has gone against them; or else a quick change offront compels them to abandon the field."

  "Still," argued Merritt, who secretly was much in favor of the Allies,"you'd think there would be some parties out with stretchers, looking uptheir wounded. I never will understand it."

  "Well, they must have a good reason for acting that way," Rob told him."You know the Germans are great sticklers for sacrificing everything tothe good of the cause of the Fatherland. If necessary even the woundedmust be temporarily neglected until the end aimed at is attained. Youremember what we heard in Antwerp about those three British cruisersthat were just torpedoed in the North Sea by German submarines?"

  "I can see what you mean, Rob. One was struck, and began to sink. Theother two hurried up to render assistance, and while their engines werestill they were hit by torpedoes and went down. If, instead of tryingto help their distressed comrades in the English way, they had let themlook out for themselves, and first of all smashed the conning towers ofthe submarines, they would have saved themselves. I guess in war timesthe German style counts best, though it seems cruel to me."

  "I think we had better pull out of this before long," remarked Rob.

  "Well, if you asked me I'd say I've had enough to last the rest of mylife," Merritt told his chum. "If ever I had any idea I'd like to be asoldier I give you my word that's gone glimmering now. What I've lookedon this day has cured me."

  "I was thinking more of poor Tubby than either of us," the patrol leaderremarked. "You can see he's pretty near the end of his rope. Twice nowI've seen him trip and fall flat, over some of the war material that'sscattered around so thick. And he could hardly get on his feet again,he's that played out."

  "But, Rob, Tubby has certainly shown up splendidly in this terribletrial!"

  "He's done a heap more than we have," Rob asserted, "because he alwayshas been a timid sort of chap with regard to seeing blood when any of usgot hurt. I remember how ghastly white Tubby grew that time one of thescouts in the Owl Patrol cut his foot with the ax. I thought for a whilewe'd have two patients on our hands. He had to sit down so as t
o getover it."

  "Yes, and see what he's stood to-day," said Merritt. "Many a boy whoboasts of having lots of nerve would have shrunk from doing what he has.Tubby's all right, and that's a fact. But it's high noon, and I warrantyou he's feeling mighty hungry."

  "He would, under ordinary conditions," said Rob, "but just now I don'tbelieve any of us could eat a mouthful. I know the very thought of itmakes me feel queer."

  "That's because we're not used to such sights and sounds," Merrittexplained. "I expect to wake up many a night with a groan and a shiver,dreaming I'm on a battlefield again, after those awful Maxims have beendoing their murderous work."

  "Well, we might take one last turn around," suggested Rob, "and if wefail to find any more wounded men, we'll call it a day's work, andquit."

  "For one thing, I'm glad I don't mean to follow this up as aprofession," his comrade continued. "I think I've had enough experienceof fighting to last me a lifetime, and yet, on second thought, if itshould happen again that they needed what little help I could give, whyI'd have to pitch in."