Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1916-06-22
The Strange Case Of
a Buried Soldier
BY r. A MrroiEi.

fak ~ thN eftEN W. fNtHNAs WsstfN VIZ
gagged IN q counterattack upon the
Germans fell 70 the ground and lay mo.
tionless. The counterattack succeed.
cd. and the French held the ground on
which the fight occurred. Blanc's
friend. Louis Devaure. serving In the
same company, saw him fall and when
the iight ceased went to him and took
him up. TO all appearances Blanc was
dead, but Devaure could 1nd no wound,
Surgeons 10 whom the case was refer
red snrmised that the man had been
killed by the air pressure OF missile
or, having a weak heart. bad sue.
cumbed from that cause under excite
ment.
Devaure secured n CONN. or. rather,
q box. and buried bis friend near o
ravine that ran through the battlefield.
That night q severe rain ret In.
swelling tiny stream that ran
through the rayine and oyerGowing
Its banks. In the morning Devaure
visited his friends grave and found
that the food had widcned the ravine
and the end OF the box containing the
body was exposed. Moreover. the end
had been removed. This removal 90.
tonished Devaure. who. looking into
the box. found II empty.
He was as much surprised at this N
he had been TO discover that his friend
had been killed In battle without any
sign Of having been hit After study.
Ing the possible causes Of the absence
Of the body he arrived at the conciu-
sion that the water m II receded took
tho body with H. But this did not &C.
count for the removal Of the end OF the
boz.
During tho day several attempts were
made by the Germans TO recover the
ground through which the ravinc ran.
They made lodgment, but were not
able 10 hold IT, During the lighting
Dcvaure was slowly retreating In the
mvine. where be and his comrades
were less exposed 10 the German fire.
and while giving way before the enc.
my be passed the protruding end OF
the box from which his friend had dis
appeared
What was Dcvaure's astonishment 10
see the soles OF pair OF boots In the
place where Ills dead comrades boots
should be had he remained buried.
AT evening the ground contended for
remained In possession OF the Ger.
mans Devnurc told some Of his com.
rades Of his having failed 10 find
Blanc's body aud Of his having after.
ward seen the soies OF boots In the
box during the retreat He was hugh
cd at for his story.
However, the contention for Blnnc's
burial place was not yet over. AT
daylight the next morning the French
made another effort 20 possess them.
selves Of Il. In this fight Devaure was
not In the ravine. but one OF his
friends, Pierre iarrabee. passed right
under the box in question. The French
were again dispossessed. and LARA
bee reported that he had stood where
he could see into the box, the sun
lighting its interior, aud II was empty,
Devaure was forced to the conclu.
sion that his first view was correct and
that In his second he must have been
mistaken. though he had been as sure
OF seeing pair or soies az he was OF
seeing the box that contained them
A wood bordered this much Fought
over region, ana when night fell the
Germans, after Smelling the wood, al
vanced 10 take IT, pevaures COM
pany was among the forces USED IN re-
repeiiing this attack Amid the nasn'
ing OF guns, the glare OF searchlignts'
tue roaring ana 'he snout'ns' the TWO
opposing iorees Nntenueu tor tue
woou. WINE pevaures company were
PRESSING iorwaru ne saw nun r'se
OUT oI 'ne srounu snu 'urh Ios y mo
usn, " 'ovs =. .ne .ene" 10 " sa.
'siy n'nse'' wme'ueF ...y we'e 'r'chus
vi .nrm.s in.n eruenuy ass.'eu'
10 '.."eu 'o"a'u ''o "',naus Us a"u y"
e Mso w "e ~ ,rsm m., Nv. "'o ,.', .,1.
! W." va. v ,, s "s.yen, s =,
W, ~ :" w ~, NASSAU '">" v
s p.."... ,"m "'s go 'enu ~. a - ,
..,,,, ..., ""' 49,, M " ~ p",es ~
...s % 49, ,.,.,,.,, " s s".,. 49,. s s,.se a" I".
~ % Use ..' sruu ~" ...ae 49,, soous nm S NV
D"NA INV ", ,"""e " W.