The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-11

and found an empty bafn WnlCn ne
granted us as a bedroom. The foSs-
Italians asked to Join us and we bought
a dozen bolts Of straw from the farmer
at five cents apiece for beds. We found
a good supply of empty grain sacks
quite clean: some we fled with grain
, for pillows and others We used to sleep
in and ON.
OF course we expected to he examined
{ the next day to establish our idcntiti---
as pcaCcable Paris correspondent ana
( nj the worst to be sent back there uno"r
pledge not to approach the firing ule.
again. I}ut nothing of the sort hap
pened. We were never asked who We
! were or what We were, never examiner
in any way. our permit was taken
. away 10y the Major who arrested ~
and we were thrust into DURANGO vilc.'
II we wished To speak to the Colonel
abolt our case he would not listen; he
would talk about the weather and even
about the war, but We were merely
Chattels he had been ordered to keep in
safe custody. The sergeant In charge
of the jail certainly took our names,
addresses and descriptions, but that
was merely for his record.
one Of tho Italians, the correspondent
OF the French paper had had an
:, audience with the General in command
Of the army and had undertaken 10
, present the case OF all. If he did no
practical result came from 1t. We later
signed a letter to the General describing
our own position and asking him 10
telegraph to the American Ambassador
! at Paris, hut nothing came OF that
either and Mr. Herrick never received
: our message.
u appeared later. that the regulations
under which orr permit was issued
+ were changed two days after we re-
, ccivcd II and it's validity was no longer
r recognized. why we should suffer for
4 a change that came into effect after our
: leaving Paris We never found ont.
Z" our position. according to tho Colonel.
was that we were not prisoners oh, no!
[ rot At All. hut we must not advance or
retire from the point we had reached
until a decision had been reached as 10
our case. nor must we leave the farm
ward ur garden: gendarme sentry. gun
in hand. saw To 1t that we did not pass
through tn" gate AS we were not ofTi-
chilly prisoners. he continued. he could
nos inscr.hc MS ON the list for rations,
I'm, he would allow ms 20 draw them
with tho soldiers as n favor.
Tho headquarters staff must have
moved from Rheims very hurriedly, for
the grndarme officers mess lacked every-
thing In the way Of plates and dishes
or coutinG utensils. The preparing =
the lunch and dinner. which We could
study. rs We were allowed the freedom
~ the kitchen. was n triumph Of in
renuity on The part of the gendarme
iouol, % nice l,ule Breton who did cvery-
tri..l 3d., rould to make MS comfortable
- long rs he could escape letting the
f,ccIs seq h" was doing anything for
a.. !; Ms very clear they objected tn
that
i.~. under these cirCumsta was
o.. .!su''. and the trio regretted that
th, boredom " Paris had moved hem
TO- ART the capital u was impossible 10
wash there was not basin or bowl
tree. il was Impossible to undrcss. II
| wag 30, cold to take of ones ovcrcoat
| al nish;. ana impossihl' tn "'een as
| several a. She seven who lay on the
| stra" sJ" by d" proved 10 b" expert
4 .nor, rs. VA ldkerchiefs had ia serve az
Il towels aui d.>hcloths
\ Permission to draw ratiOus was al
\ vcry we'll hut Mt 90 great us" 10 those
4 who had nothing 80 draw them in,
Il Each solder has tin gamellc, bowl
n with 4 tin cover, lui thorc were no
A Suarc ones 20 he borrowed We had
\ bought some Nat aluminium patcs and
H our attempts TO carry lad of boiling
II rice and ragout from one Of the thre'
II huge caldrons on the other SIDE of m,
II farm yard 90 the kitchen proved
\ source Of great amusement t. the men
II To i'd 10 our discomfort il rdinc'
II each afternoon and evening. II nigh
II he added that the food seemed oxccllen
II for men who were working hard hut I
II did mt tempt pr soner's appetite VIII,
II had done nothing but Nunge around al
III day.
II our automobile was requisitioned a
II once. I being whispered that IT ha,
II found great favor in the eyes of tn
II comm nding General. But from tn
II window we could watch the soldier
II tryinE to start II. Its electric self
II starter was mystery to them and tho
n soon put II out of gear. When any
II thing l. requisitoned, paper is give
II to the owner lin this case to the chaus
u frur as representing the owner) with
/. fun description. The price to be pal
IL settled at Paris ana only become
due at the end of the war.
too Money seemed about the commones
wo thing around and the most useless.
was impossible to buy n cigarette or
" match. Twice a day an orderly went
buy wine. somewhere miles away, an
no. be- would bring us what We wanted, .
ef- excellent ordinary wine being obtalf
able at 10 cents bottle IL you co,t
18th supply bottles.
We our distractions were the arrival
car an aeroplane from time TO time, whic
ere ! noticed always caused perturbatio
'eet among the half dozen cocks and her
ght which had been spared by the German
lem Then prisoners would come in. tw
Mayors one day Zone was released
crs. three miserable looking men, Frenc
by accused of being spies tthey left
prld chains, and | fear required no sleepir
and place that nighD and an Alsatia
Who deserter from the German forces, tn
an last was a school teacher who r.
Who ported his regiment Of least was utter
had demoraliZed and in such a bad positlc
. almost all the officers had been killed
the that the French could easily have c,
them up. II seen.~~ to me that IN
ton was the cause Of his deserving far mo
Hen than the promptngs OF cagPrness to
cid. under the French flag The gendarm
and catherrd round him and threw eveI
mes atrocity they had heard of as Committ'
l..H u It.t 1. 4