The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-22
FRENCH FORCED TO TRAIN GUNS ON
FRENCH TOWNS TO ROUT GERMANS

the silent grove. in which there is never
the complete assurance that the park
wall completely separates one from the
lurking enemy.
The little chateau liz in the town itself,
surrounded by no considerable estate. 1t
mas been ripped open with lombard
nent. bur was not set on fire. Strange
enough, the pillaging of six months has
not begun to exhaust the loot that lit
ters it's floors knee deep. Here all the
possessions of some once comfortable
family lie scattered about az they have
been pulled from desk. cupboard and
bureau. Sheets and pillowcases lie
mixed up with family photographs and
correspondence IN a chaos OF disorder.
Most pathetic 70 me was a little girls
postcard collection-cards from all over
Europe. with their little messages of
love or greeting. Hut most precious were
the remains of a beautiful library, the
last thing 70 be violated by the rude
hands that have ransacked everything
else and left not a bottle Of wine in The
whole own Here. stacked Just as they
were before the invasion. ] found fncly
bound, immaculate sets OF Rousseau.
voltaire. Corneiile and Racine. The
wind and rain tina, blew in through the
immense rents in the walls had not yet
harmed them In the least. They were
as fresh as the day they left the famous
early nineteenth century presses OF
which they we're the choicest examples.
Took Rocks ~ Pious Duty.
took away a few OF these volumes.
estecming that the pious duty of rcscu-
ing an old book doomed otherwise TO
certain destruction might absolve me
from the gravity OF the charge that sucn
an act made me liable to.
Tha alEan1al pnGfft,n that Ua hnll
IN this village and the fact that we are
far in front OF our " batteries min
inizcs the danger from artillery fire.
Few shells. in fact. fall on c now
adayS. then only when a group OF
soldiers expose themselves unnecessarily
But every night the patrols come down
from the hillsides. and We are out
against that war of rUse and surprise,
of treachery and stealth, which is most
trying 70 the strongest nerves. Under
these conditions sentinel duty ceases
to have the air OF a mere formally il
means a grave danger, a terrible respon-
sibillty. And seeing that the guard can
not be too rigid at this point we are ali
forced to undergo with hcartbreakinS
frequency the ordeal OF the petit poste.
The petit poste' Is the outpost which
furnishes the most advanced sentinels
before the enemy. Its composition and
general! arrangement may vary accord
ing 81 circumstances, but typilally the"
are as follows AT daybredN a dozen
men and a corporal go out to the posi-
ton and install themselves behind the
rude shelters or dcfences that have been
constructed.
During the day the guard u simply
two men on two hour watches. Vt night
however. the post is broken up into tiree
little posts Of fou men each. These are
In turn divided into relays OF two, whicd
alternate at intervals of one or two
hours. as they choose, 50 that each MAJ
has six or seven hours on guard dur
ing the night. At daybreak the whole
squad Is in turn relieved. for picket dutS
on petit postc' is always twenty-touI
hours. During that time. whether OF
guard or of, no one is supposed TO sleep