The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-30

ta,rrd IN the chorus or nervous SiecfS.
r,ey we're perspiring 20 much that
,,s.. eyes we're damp. Lying on the
ground. shoulder to shoulder. they
lsoked at each other, saying:
Pretty hot. eh? God. what a life!"
ne Parisians. however. did not lose
.hsr mind. The explosions Of the
.as,is brought back to them the ever.
lasting rumolinR Of Partisan life. and
t;sspard remarked: 1T sounds like
one Of the big foires at home!"
Tho men stood UP and dropped to
ne ground again at the order Of
the Captain. who. however. always
r.mainei standing. his map and isld
glasses In his hands. holding HE com-
pany together. supporting It and on.
course!ng IL by his example. unmoved,
col and calm. wonderful In the way
h. accepted quietly Q reality witch
vas becoming more and more terrific
every minute. The shells seemod to
be coming along faster. encirciing this
handful! OF men, whose coura&s was
being kept UP by 0aspard's Jokes ad-
dressed 70 the shells:
Maybe you'll ~ US! Nav.
W sVb VIZ tuO IOOlU .
The damn fools! They've been pnc.
',slns nothing else for forty years ana
this Is the best they can do"
TIE men motioned their approval
and every n laughed: the Joy At not
being hit vas enough to strengthen
b every !.eart.
TIE most amazing part Of Il all
md tais had not yet occurred 70 the
rIen was that no one could So the
tr''tnans. Nor could the French ~
sen. This vas not an open battle
where tie troops fsht man to man.
t This VAS evidently a battle on an
i:p'nense scale. with regiments spread
along several kilometres. facing an
cremy far away who was firing shells
yer huitops and wood.
Eut men are strangely pliable. They
u accustomed to the worst ad.
venture With q raoidity which at first
- astounding and finally becomes I'D.
mirab!c. While exposed to this mys.
'criuus Are Gaspard gave vent TO the
lowing bit Of philosophy:
In this business its foolish TO try
,o understand anything"
WHAT was far more imperative lust
ror' was to ind something to eat, for
tie tragedy Of the loss OF the soup v1s
y, ginning to dawn upon the men. They
t1j had nothing to eat since the pc-
iops day ard had heen marching all
night. The men felt a weight upon
',.ei- stomachs ard their legs began 20
eve way. !
After a quarter Of an hour. when the
~NAfa hA~An - l-N ->--- .-A--
Nals. the men had more thought for
''nething to a than for the danger
"r che cnemy's FIRE.
Some ore called out:
"Gaspard let's have you.
ees. we're starving! . :"
Gaspard replied in any angry
|: isn't u . Leave me alone
we'll eat ;t Tonight"
The men realized that this argument
as irrefhtable. Meanwhile they fnund
'~a,so!asion n the fact that AFTER the
fad Of beets which they had been
''ross:ng they were now entering q corn.
t.!d. 4 beautiful field where the stalks
reached up TO their shoulders, a rea,
:ont!er field. OF which the harvest
Would make the Germans die Of ZEAL
'is.. In the midst % the corn a few
'tcl!s were still falling. causing a
eo!ler cloud 20 mingie with the smoke
md powder.
Every minute the Captain would
'ow his whistle n the men would
ippear among the cornstalks.
All fear had vanished now. FOR the
..n had found something 10 rat. They
ere seizing the stalks in large arm
! IS. removing the grain With severis!,
..'.ds and swallowing them by mouth
'l,s. THIS was a e form o. torture.
;1d the men had no drink to accom-
paa!' the raw corn. Their hunger was
'ie:eiy deadened and their thirst was
ko'iv.ne them mad.
They oon came 70 the end Of the
teautiful cornfield and when out or
re plain discovered a village ahead
- them. The houses we're burning
rrd the entire battle scene was dis
''ossd with its masses OF infantry, IL.
"~fp'oding shells. and. on the other
!, s.de, the enemy's firing line made
visible by The flames issuing from a
IcsrSy wood. During the irst
minute all the horrors Of war were
a-a!n brought home with terrific
force TO the newcomers.
A new object OF interest. however.
Niddenly appeared or the scene In the
shape Of a rabbit bounding across the
I'D. Every eye followed Il and the
ncn with open mouths prepared 70
eve cha 81, but the little animal dis
;HTca-ed in the WOOD. Gsspard. wip!ng
,H~ Precipitation from his forehead
ga in a painful voice TO ENrette:
Rabbit. . lust think OF II!
. A rabbi, with a good sauce"
F'urette offered all he had a. q
'-~.sola,ion.
I've got my reserve ration Of sugar
do you want lt?'
VEL. hand It over. but It isn't going
:" help my thirst. ] think I'm Begin
ing 30 Hike this war;"
look" said Durette; Took rghi
afead Of us--"
Ito was pointing toward the flames
trToss one Of those beautiful open
tsces which Van der MeulsA excei:ed
ia!ntiEx and which can DO seen In
Of his best works. But in thiA
case the entire village q afre like
az enormous bras!er. with one high
AT" above all the others rapidly de-
s'roying the belfry. Below in the
pan the German shells were coming
aons like a tide sweeping everything
n front OF il, while regiments con