Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-31
Wounded Return From Front
Caked With the Chalk of
Northern France.
CHARGED GERMAN WORKS
IN A GALE OF HILARITY
We Are the Waxworks of La Pouil-
leuse," Says Frenchman With a
Bullet in His Stomach.
BY HERBERT COREY.
Copyright. 1881

PARIS, October 17.-They came into
the receiving station of La Chappelle to-
day-walking, limping, hobbnng between
comrades whose legs were still sound,
being carried on stretchers. All were
alike bathed daubed, swadded in a
chalky clay Their black eyes sparkled
from clay masks. Their white teeth
shone against mud background. Their
earth-stinened mustaches crinkled as
they smiled Their uniforms were quite
indistingulsha BILE. One could not tell a
private from an officer. Even the orig
inal color of the cloth had disappeared
They were living mumnies of mud.
I'VE are the waxworks of La Pouil-
leuse," said the little man.
The Pouilleuse is that portion of the
Champagne country in which the French
have just won a great battle. All bare,
rolling hills. is the Pouilleuse, on which
a foot-deep topsoil of clay is imposed
upon chalk foundation. In the second
empire an attempt was made to grow
trees upon this worthless land. Today
those trees have disappeared under the
merciless fire of artillery. Nothing of
them is left except patches of spIintered
Btubble. The French and German
trenches are marked in this country by
the white lines of the chalk that has
been thrown up. 1t is an immense foot
ball gridiron
I've rolled in the mud" said the little
man to the major, like puppies in the
snow. Never have laughed so hard"
One could dimly picture the scene. For
on the German defenses- The Germans
had retired to their deepest trenches and
grimly held on. A rain came That
foot-deep layer Of clay on the impervi-
are not expected to charge under such
conditions They cannot keep their foot
ing. They slip and fall on the greasy
earth. But the French did charge. Often
they took the Germans by surprise. Mud
covered apparitions appeared on the
trench lips.
"It was as though the soil of France
had risen to hurl the Boches back" said
the little man. dramatically. Then he
chuckled. Jumps of mud we were,'
said he IT laugh yet"
First Wounded After Victory.
These were the first of the wounded
to reach Paris after the great Cham
payne fight Rumor has it that $4,000
of them have reached this city alone.
No one knows. Almost 10000 Germans
were captured. it is said. so that these
figures are not altogether incredible
What is unbelievable is the spirit of
the wounded. One expects a certain
subdued cheerfulness in men who have
been released by a slight wound from
the sordid horrors and the unending
danger of the front. But one does not
expect them to be gay.
What Is that" asked the jor. He
was slender and elegant in his brown
leather puttees and his belted blouse
A gloved hand pointed at round ball
of mud suspended about the little mans
do ~
mask in filthy clay.
My gas protector" laughed the little
man. A little grimace crossed his face
as he pulled it on. My best girl would
not know me now"
1t did not change his appearance
greatly. Mud had SO caked upon his
face and In his hair and formed upon
the collar of his coat, and built up
corselet on his breast. that the mask
seemed quite In keeping. The clay
pieces blinded him and he slipped it off
The major was biting his little gray
mustache. Tears were gathering in his
eyes.
DO not go away" said the little man.
Stay with me. I have many funny
things to tell"
Undoubtedly these men were still
buoyed by the exhilaration of the sue
cessful fight. Soldiers agree there is
nothing so wildly stimulating as win
ming charge. These men were tingling
with the excitement of the battle Few
of them had slept since they swept
over the German parapets. Their eyes
were almost painfully bright. Here and
there one hummed a savage little
snatch OF song TO himself. One held a
bent and twisted bayonet tightly across