The Pulaskian., 1915-03-12

ldWs or cOnScr1pt1On could have passed Into an army fighting for a nations existence. He was small, even for a petit soldat of France But something Tn the way the man moved, and espe- claily something in his long, thin face bespoke courage and power that might we'll have had their habitation In stronger and a finer body.
 By the time Duprez had selected two or three more of tine men wiio were to follow him it was apparent to the watching officers that there was a cu- rlous 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 tal1on 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 exclamations 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.
 q suppose SO" growled the colonel, returning to his mustache.
 And so Private Duprez, with a curi- ous smile lurking at the very corners of his mouth, and a deeper glow in his firm, dark eyes, was allowed to set about quickly informing his men of the task before them.
 Any 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 nel in the ear of the lieutenant.
 Half an hour later Duprez and his twenty, carrying charges of dynamite in addition to their rifles and knap- sacks, set out down the white road leading to the distant bridge.
 They felt a curious thrill with the thought that they were in Lorraine that far south of them other French regiments were in Alsace-that after forty years of patient waiting the hour of France had come, and the tricolor again waved over the fair, lost prov inces.
 Only now and then the sound of cannon and the faint rattle of rife fire from far over the hill at their left re- minded them that the provinces had not yet been conquered-that the fight had not yet been won.
 They marched in silence for almost an hour very slowly, lest they tumble unexpectedly upon outposts or scouts of the enemy. Then suddenly Du- prez, who until that moment had ad- dressed barely few short words of command to his men, turned around and faced them.
 Something strange in his counte- nance and manner brought the twenty to a sharp halt in their very tracks, where they stood regarding him ex- pectantly For moment Duprez stood, studying them with that same keen scrutiny they had observed when he selected them for this expedition.
 "Brothers!" he cried.
 A moments pause.
 Comrades"
 Another pause.
 Brothers, comrades, fellow men! Why are we here?"
 They could only look at him, pug zled by his words, so irrelevant to the hour, but fascinated by his fiery man. her and the ring of his voice on the still air.
 Have you ever stopped to think why we are fighting? Did you stop to think back wonder when we passed the graves of our brothers of the -th, why they died, and why we shall die after them? Will you stop to reflect now what all this means?"
 The little knot of men stole swift glances at one another's faces and saw here and there flush, and heard a quickening of the breath and felt a of expectancy. Then all eyes were again fixed on their leader.
 Brothers" he went on, T chose you for this undertaking because l saw in your faces that you are not mere cIOdS-that yOu are not only