The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1915-01-22
RISKS LIFE To
INfURATE ENEh Y
French ln'lntryman Plants COL
ors Under Nose Of
GUrmans.

Paris, Jan. 16.-For cool courage
combined with a touch of. caustic
humor, this exploit recounted in an
officers letter would be hard to beat.
you must know that our trenches
are about 200 yards from those of the
Boches and separated from them by,
on the right field of beets on the
left a field of stubble. Between the
two fields and equidistant from both
trenches, is a derelict reaping ma
chine, which plays the chief part in
my story. Last night at nine o'clock
/ was luxuriously stretched out on
my mattress i'm the trench dorimtory,
when there was a knock at the i'm
provisiOned door and one of my
troopers, a sturdy Savoyard, came
! in. Mon lieutenant he said, L am
very happy. have received a pack
age from home. Splendid / said
You'll have something to keep you
warm--a fine jersey, bet!' No, said
my Savoyard. You would lose your
bet. What received was big
French flag that ] ask for, / had an
idea of my own
And what was that l asked,
Ill tell you said the soldier. 4 have
, cut stick twelve feet long and fast
ened the flag to it. With your per-
mission / shall go and attach it to
the reaping machine in front of the
Germans trenches. That'll remind
them that they are not on their own
territory fact they seem to rather
forget sometimes.
Idea Sheer Madness. y
But, my man objected, thu
idea is sheer madness. With thisl
bright moonlight you'll be riddled
like sieve before you go ten yards
Don't worry, mon lieutenant he
answered confidently, 4 am a slater
by trade, and know how to crawl
on my stomach Seeing that his |
heart was set on the venture I /
gave my permission and off he went
delighted. Half an hour later the
French flag was waving in front of
the German trenches, and my Savo-
yard the slater by trade was back
in our lines without a scratch.
"Well, l said laughing this is all
very fine for the moment, but what
IL the Boches pull your flag down
and put up their own in its place?
I've thought of that said the latter.
If you come back in quarter of an
hour you shall see what you shall
se.' Come back l did at that appoint
ed time, and found suspending from
4 string between two stakes a fine
carriage bell with q placard beside
It, bearing the words, Alarm signal.
In case of danger pull the cord
Made Second Trip.
What my Savoyard had done was
simply this: He had crawled out
again to the reaper, and attached a
string to the staff of the flag, con-
lecting this string on his return to
he trench with the bell, which he
lad unearthed somewhere. Next day
he story of the flag had made the
'ounds of the trenches, and my
,avoyard had to do the honors of his
to all of the staff Of
icers of our division. But the tragic
ide of the successful trick was to
Ome. 1t was supplied by the en-
my.
In broad daylight two German SOL
Tiers left their trenches and ran
Owards the flag-to be shot down
en- yards away from the reaping
1t had been, not a forlorn
Iope for them but sheer suicide.
What had happened must have been
his: That morning the German Of
icer when he reached his trench,
ad been Infatuated by the sight of
he hated tricolor. He must have
the two men ON sentry
uty the night before and ordered
hem to teaf II down. Obedience
nd dis06edience alike meant death.
hey Choose to die by our bullets
~