Evening star., 1907-11-02


CASA BLANCA. October % 1907.
vt was TO see the war balloon go up
that I planned with tall, youthful
Scot, who takes photographs for a
II London weekly. to rise at o'clock
and walk out to the French encamp-
ment before breakfast.
Passing the outer gate, the Babel-Sok.
70 the north of town. we were surprised
20 see the balloon already high in the air.
and on the straight road that divides the
amps we noticed q thick, lifting cloud
Of brown dust. LengtEening our stride,
We pushed on as fast as the heavy sand
would allow. passing the camp and over
taking the trail of dust just the last
troop Of Spahis twisted out through an
intricate opening in the wire entangle-
mrnts which guard Casa Blanca, and went
down into the little gully beyond. Spread
out in front on broad bare slope. with
here and there the wrecked tomb Of some
Moorish saint, vas n moving body of
men. ft-nnfng q more or less regular
rectaugle OF which the front and the rear
were the short ends-about half as long as
tire sides The outer lines were marked
by companies OF infantry. bloomered
Tirailleurs and the Foreign Legion, march
ing in open order often single file with
parallel lines at the front and vital points.
Within the rectangle travelled the field ar
tllery. three sections of two guns each, a
mountain battery carried dismantled on
mules. a troop of Algerian cavalry. the
general and his staff and a brigade of the
Red Cross Outside the main body. flung
a mile to the front and far off either wing,
l IN
their flowing robes. served as scouts. AL
ready three of them on the sky line, by
the position of their horses, signaled that
the way clear.
This little army. counting in It's ranks
Germans. Caucasian Arabs and negroes.
as well as native Frenchmen. numbered
all told. less than 1900 men. 1t had got
into fighting formation under shelter of a
battery and two short fankng lines of
infantry lodged on the first ridge. form
ing without a halt as the various de-
tachments passed through the openings in
tie wire entanglements. The force even
though small was well handled, and the
men keen for the advance. 1t has been
said OF the French that they fight best
when the enemy is weak
Over Plowed Fields.
Finding ourselves at a rear corner of
the block. We set our speed at about double
that of the columns of troops, and took a
general direction diagonally toward a
section of the artillery. now kicking up a
pretty dust as II dragged through the
plowed fields. Overtaking the guns, we
slogged on with them for mile or more,
asking the officers (who did not know
the object of the advance and advising
them not TO waste their camera films. as
they seemed inclined to do, before the
morning clouds disappeared.
The helmets of the artillery and the
foreign legion hid their faces and made
them look Ike British soldiers. 1t was
indeed. somewhat disappointing to find
that the only French troops In Gen
Drude's army had left behind In camp
the little red caps that give them, in ap-
pearance at least. the character of Ma
pOleon's time and the revolution
Though we carried no breakfast inside
Of Us. neither Were we laden with doughy
bread and heavy water bottles, to say
nothing of rifles, and after a short breath
Ing spell and ride on the guns we were
soon able to say ''au revoir' to the bat
terry and to press on ahead Our eager
ness TO ascertain the object Of the move
ment led US toward the generals staff.
but We did not get there The little man
with the big mustache spied us at some
distance and sent an officer to say that
correspondents should keep back with the
hospital corps.
Thinking perhaps Il would he best not
to argue this point. we thanked the officer.
sent our compliments to monsieur lie gen