Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1916-08-31
The Strange Case Of
a Buried Soldier
BY F. A. Mitchell


gagged In counterattack upon the
Germans fell to the ground and lay mo-
tionless. The counterattack succeed
ed. 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 fight ceased went to him and took
him up. To all appearances Blanc was
dead, but Devaure could find no wound
Surgeons to whom the case was refer.
red surmised that the man had been
killed by the air pressure of a missile
or, having weak heart, had sue.
cumbed from that cause under excite.
ment
Devaure secured a coffin. or, rather,
box, and buried his friend near u
ravine that ran through the battlefield
That night severe rain set in,
swelling tiny stream that ran
through the ravine and overlooking
its banks. In the morning Devaure
visited his friends grave and found
that the flood had widened the ravine
and the end of the box containing the
body was exposed Moreover, the end
had been removed, This removal as.
tonished Devaure. who. looking into
the box, found 1t empty.
He was as much surprised at this as
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 conclu-
sion that the water as 1t receded took
the body with 1t. But this did not ac-
count for the removal Of the end of the
box.
During the day several attempts were
made by the Germans to recover the
ground through which the ravine ran.
They made Judgment, but were not
able to hold 1t. During the fighting
Devaure was slowly retreatlng in the
ravine. where he and his comrades
were less exposed to the German fire.
and while giving way before the enc
my he passed the protruding end Of
the box from which his friend had dis
appeared.
What was Devaure's establishment to
see the soles of a pair Of boots In the
place where his dead comrades boots
should be had he remained buried!
At evening the ground contended for
remained in possession of the Ger.
mans. Devaure told some of his COM
rades of his having failed to find
Blanc's body and of his having after
ward seen the soles of boots In the
box during the retreat He was laugh.
ed at for his story.
However, the contention for Blancs
burial place was not yet over. AT
daylight the next morning the French
made another effort to possess them.
selves of 1t. In this fight Deyaure was
not In the ravine, but one of his
friends, Pierre Larrabee. 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 It's interior, and 1t was empty.
Devaure was forced to the conelu-
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 of soles as he was of
seeing the box that contained them.
A wood bordered this much fought
over region, and when night fell the
Germans, after Smelling the wood, ad.
vanced to take 1t. Devaure's com.
pany was among the forces used In re-
repelling this attack. Amid the flash.
ing of guns, the glare of searchlights
the roaring and the shouting. the tive
opposing forces contended for the
wood While Devaure's company were
pressing forward he saw man rise
out of the ground and turn for mo
ment to look at the French as If to sat
isfy himself whether they were friends
or enemies. Then, evidently assured
he turned toward the Germans and be
gan to fire at them with his rifle
What was Devaure's astonishmen
to see In the white. haggard face o
this man his friend Blanc!
Devaure was more nearly paralyzet
with terror mt this ghostly being thai
at the frightful scene about him. TIL
ghost fell back into the ranks of tn
French. Devaure seized his arm. an,
the ghost turned.
, "Louisr'
"Antoine!''
These words were spoken, though
t not heard by either for the din. Blu
. Devaure was assured that his frien
Q stood with him In the flesh.
When day came and the fightin
, ceased Blanc recounted his remarkabl
! adventures to his chum.
a He had come to consciousness wit
), sense of sufrocation and chilled fee
: which were resting against some oil
t stacle. With a spasmodic effort b
s forced this object away and felt rusl
k ing water, which soon engulfed hin
8 Feeling that he was inclosed except {
i his feet, he pulled himself In that d
rection and struck water at or abo,
Its surface. Finding a bank. he scran