The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-29

SIN a village named Penchard there
was some very sharp fighting, and
some of our artillery were posted here
about. Presently a German aero
plane came overhead circling round in
reconnaissance. But IT was out for
more than that. Suddenly II began "a
drop bombs. and whether by design or
otherwise-they have no manners
these fellows-they exploded In the
middle OF a field hospital. One Of my
friends. a young doctor. was wounded
in the left arm by a bullet from one of
these bombs, though I don't know
what other casualties there were. But
the inevitable happened. Shortly after
the disappearance Of the aeroplane the
German shells searched the position
and found II with unpleasant accuracy.
I; is always the same The German
~aeroplanes are really wonderful in the
way they search out the position of
our guns. We always know that within
half an hour Of an observation by
a%eroplane the shells will begin to fall
above the gunners unless they have
altered their position. II was so in
this fighting round Meaux yesterday.
For some days this rat hunting
among the villages on the left bank Of
the ourcq went on all the time. and we
were not very happy. The truth was
that we had no water for ourselves and
We're four days thirsty. It was really
terrible, for the heat was terrific dur
ing the day. and some OF us were al
most mad with thirst. Our tongues
were bl!stered and swollen, our eyes
had a silly kind Of look in them, and
at night we had horrid dreams. II
was l assure you. an intolerable agony
But we did our best for the horses.
have said we were four days with
out drink. That was because we used
our last water for the poor beasts. A
gentleman has to do that-you will
agree?-and the French soldier is not
a barbarian. Even then the horses
had to go without a drop OF water for
two days, and I'm not ashamed TO saw
that ! wept salt tears to see the suffer-
ings OF those poor innocent creatures,
who did not understand the meaning
of all this bloody business and who
wondered at our cruelty.
INC HibHlS were Dreadful. All
around us were burning villages, the
dear hamlets of France. and al every
faint pun OF wind the sparks hoated
about them like falling stars. But
other fires were burning. Under the
cover OF darkness the Germans had
collected their dead and had piled them
into great heaps and had covered them
with straw and paraffin. Then they
had set n torch to these funeral pyres.
- Certain crows We're about in the
that followed. Not many of
them, but they came Hopping about
the dead bodies and the living with
hungry beaks. one OF my own COM
rades lay very badly wounded. and
when he wakened out OF his uncon-
seriousness one of those beastly birds
was sitting on his chest waiting for
him To die, That is war!
"'iet there are other things in war.
Fine and splendid things. 1t was
magnificent to see your English gum
ners come up. They were rather late
in the field, They did not appear until
midday on September 7, when the bic
patti" vas going on, and when we
were doing II best to push back the
German right wing, They came IN
Just as II they were on the parade
ground, m~arvellously cool, very chic
fellows, superb in their n of
handling their guns, II was heavy
artillery and we badly wanted 1t.