One Chance in a Million 



The following story will make you hold your 

 breath. The writer, Ray Ernest Smith, M. D., of 

 Rutland, Vermont, tells thrillingly the story of a 

 great adventure, narrow escape and some Tragic 

 Moments. The doctor spent two years in France in 

 the " zone of advance." 



I have been reading with great interest the various 

 contributions to the " Tragic Moments " and, quite 

 naturally, my own memory has revisioned the various 

 occasions that stand out from my own experiences 

 along the streams and ponds. There are so many 

 of these high spots that come to mind that it is diffi- 

 cult, indeed, to pick out the one about which I shall 

 tell you. 



I remember, for example, that particular day in 

 late June when I was busy with live bait after wall- 

 eye. The sport had been poor, and almost at quitting 

 time I hooked into a five and one-half pound black 

 bass and had to return him to the water, the season 

 not opening for three short days to come. That was, 

 with me, a tragedy! 



Then there was that other time when I was but 

 a " kid " fishing for shiners at the top of a mill-dam. 



79 



