Tombstone epitaph., 1915-04-18
Take me-for the love of God."

Take me. It's for victory! It's for France,"
 "In the absence of orders to the con trary." Joseph says. 'I did as the old man requested. l carried him fifteen kilometers to the northeast, and there left him at the crossroads of Mes signy, which was well within our lines"
 There will be occasion to quote Jo- seph again. little later on: but be- tween the time at which he stops and the time at which he begins again there is a hiatus of several hours.
 They were hours of lurid warfare for the most part. Then there came llll with a noise and glare of battle rolling of to tine eastward like a retreating thunder storm.
 The allied army. in this part of the field. occupied the segment of a vast amphitheater, where the hills sloped gently down to a wide valley. The Hull strangely deepened. Some thing was about to happen. The in tuition. or telepathy, that sheds com mon feeling through vast masses of men was at work. Nerves strained, muscles quivered. lungs labored. and every pair of eyes that had that black silhouette of ridge against the red | background in range was staring in | that direction-ready-r for no | one knew what.
 Then single figure appeared. It appeared out there on the ridge all alone-a short. stout figure in a | long cloak and a bicorne hat, majestic calm-the figure Of Napoleon. It had come out of the night. It had been | conjured up by the cannon. The word spread faltering. ye, rapid, from post to post and trench to | trench.
 | Napoleon.
 It came first from the noncommis stoned officers. the sergeants and the corporals who were cheek by jowl with their men. and who stared through their binoculars. transfxed | Then 1t was seen that the higher otf cers were staring, too.
 There were audible cries: | The emperor" l It's Napoleon" l Hes come to lead us."
 The quiver, the thrill. was contagi ous. It spread from company to com pany, from regiment to regiment, from corps to corps It reviyified hope glorifed courage. gave an almost su perhuman sense Of confidence and power.
 Then there was the rush of an aeria express train and shock of blindins thunder. as the enemy resumed the bonn bardment.
 Over the ridge where the figure O. the emperor had appeared there came a, huge flash and rolling pillow O smoke, then darkness. then the Quavel of flame again. brighter than evel where the weeds and brush had caugh fire.
 He was still there,
 There was a rolling cheer
 As he was before. he was now leisurely. calm. commanding. | lines. Then, while the shrapnel burs overhead like rockets, and geysers o fire disgorged where other shell, struck the ground. they saw him Tiff his hand in a gesture that was botl salute and benediction. Again tn, thunder-clouds of smoke and fire hal hidden him.
 But the army was inspired. wa straining now in frenzied eagerness There came a shrilling blast of bugle for miles and miles. an infinite, flood ing roar of cheers, and down th slopes and out across the valley to ward the ridge, and on. and on, an' on, corps after corps of exalted heart and reaching bayonets.
 The army that had seen Napoleon was driving the enemy back iron Paris.
 Let us take up the narrative of Jc seph Dubois again.
 He reports how he had followed tn advance of the allies almost to tn new outposts they had thrown out and how. while the army was still hur ing itself forward, he was constraine to return to Paris with dispatches.
 He came to the ridge just beyon the burning hamlet of Cname delete, by the censorD and there he found al old man, dressed like Napoleon, lying grievously wounded by the roaC
 It was the same old man had cal ried forward in the night" says JC seph. This time he was wearing bicorne hat and a long cloak: bu from the silver plate on his neck, knew him for my invalid. So I aske him if he wanted anything, and h said:
 "T desire-that my ashes-banks c the Seine-this French people I hay so greatly loved
 T took him in my machine and cal ried him back to Paris. where We al rived at dawn" Joseph doesn't mention it in his r port. but various comrades of tn Grenadier Mere-such as the Corpor; , Pictou, Marine Frenzy, Quartermaste : Sandeau and Farrier Saint-Lambert- ' all of them. in fact. tell how they ha , watched and waited throughout tn i night, how they were the first to hea that the tide of battle had turned.
 Then, just as the gilded dome of tn r Hotel des Invalides was emergin U