Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1915-03-19

This was a man of almost stalWart
figure that seemed scarcely to belong
to the studious face and the finely
shaped head.
You nexti"
His was figure that only the loose
laws of CONSUMPTION could have passed
into an army fighting for a nations
existence He was small, even for
petit soldat of France. But something
in the way the man moved, and espe-
cially something in his long, thin face
bespoke courage and power that
might well have had their habitation
in stronger and finer body.
By the time Duprez had selected two
or three more of the men who were
to follow him it was apparent to the
watching officers that there was GU
rious method in his nominations For
the dangerous and difficult mission
upon which he was about to be sent
he was not choosing those of the bat
talon who looked the best soldiers
or the readiest men for an undertak-
ing that required courage, quickness
and endurance
Every face as he passed down the
line was scrutinized closely, and it
was clear that none but the intellectual
If they might be SO described-ap-
pealed to him. And when he had
found his twenty the officers could
not repress ordinations Of amaze
ment, not unmixed with mirth, to see
them assembled for review and in
structions, looking as if they should
have had books in their hands instead
of rifles
Don't quite like the looks of that
lot-for blowing up bridges said the
colonel, directing himself especially
to Duprez' lieutenant.
That officer also had his doubts; but
he realized that, Duprez having been
given permission to choose his men,
to make any changes in his command
would be to imperil the success of the
expedition and perhaps to weaken
discipline and confidence in the two
battalions.
"It's too late now, don't you
think?" he ventured to suggest in re-
ply.
IT suppose so,' growled the colonel,
returning to his mustache.
And so Private Duprez, with a curl
Gus smile lurking at the very corners
of his mouth, and deeper glow in
his firm, dark eyes, was allowed to
set about quickly informing his men
of the task before them
amy man who doesn't like the job
may step out, and I'll find another"
he said tersely when he had finished.
Not man moved; there was doubt
and curiosity on their faces, but no
fear.
That's better admitted the colo
mel in the ear of the lieutenant.
Half an hour later Duprez and his
twenty, carrying charges of dynamite
in addition to their rifles and KNAPP
sacks, set out down the white road
leading to the distant bridge.
They felt curious thrill WV / hi
thought that they were in LorrAW
that far south of them other Kel
regiments were in Alsace-thatE9l CT
forty years of patient waiting they
of France had come, and the tW W.
again waved over the fair, lost(eI pl
inces. az
Only now and then the souM.
cannon and the faint rattle of ritW w:
from far over the hill at their lke1 vi.
minded them that the provincgKl ~
+hoNW Wl
fight had not yet been won. wv
They marched in silence for AyS r
an hour very slowly, lest they Is5 e
Unexpectedly upon outposts or rs 20
of the enemy. Then SUDDENLY ya
PREF, who until that moment hSgg III
dressed barely few short wcSS5s ale
command to his men, turned Gga
and faced them. ~. 1121
Something strange in his w "
nance and manner brought the w B
to sharp halt in their very az \
where they stood regarding hIH.
pectantly. For a moment w
stood, studying them with thaiW
keen scrutiny they had observeCIki
he selected them for this expedET
'Brothers!" he cried. ~
A moments pause. "
"Comrades!"
Another pause.
brothers, comrades, fellow -
Why are we here?"
They could only look at hiI9M
zled by his words, SO irrelevant
hour, but fascinated by his fer lN =
ner and the ring of his voice lHN ~
still air. A
"Have you ever stopped to fN
why we are fighting? Did yc M
to think back yonder when we
the graves of our brothers of tt ~
why they died, and why we ST M I
after them? Will you stop to HA
now what all this means?" HB]
The little knot of men stole M !
u. So