The Washington herald., 1916-07-09

pened. Cyrano had sprung to his side
MS reddish .mustache had shot forward
beyond his nose, and It bristled out like
.hat OF an angry eat Both we're look
ing up at the group above u.s. One wretch
ed man detached himself from his COM
Iaues ana sidled down the slope. No
skipper and mate of Yankee blood
/ ooat could have looked more ferooiously
at mutineer. And yet II was all over
some minor breach of discipline which
was summarily disposed of by two days
OF confinement Then In an instant the
faces relaxed, there was a general buzz
OF rehef and we were back at "Mes
ehfants, again. But don't make any
mistake as to discipline in the French
army. =
trenches and Trenches.
Trenches are trenches, and the main
speciaity OF these in the Argonne Is that
.hey are nearer to the enemy. In fact,
mere are places where they interlock. and
"here the advanced posts lie cheek by
Jowt We were brought to a sap head
, where the Germans were at the other
sioe OF narrow forest road. Had /
leaheo forward with extended hand and
Serman the same we could have touch
co. looked across, but saw only a
lahsie or wire and stocks. Even whis-
Perins was not permitted in these for
ward posts
when we emerged from these hushed
places OF danger Cyrano took US all to
MS dug-out which was a tasty little
cottage carved from the side of a hill and
raced with logs. He did the honors OF
the humble cabin with the air of a
seigneur in his chateau There was little
furniture, but from some broken mansion
ne had extracted an iron fire-back, which
adorned his crate. 1t was a fine,
medlaeval bit of work. with Venus, In
her traditional costume, In the center of
IT, 1t seemed the last touch in the pic
ture OF the gallant. virile Cyrano.
only met him this once. nor shall I
ever see him again, yet he stands q thing
complete within my memory. Even now
as l write these lines he walks the leafy
paths OF the Argonne, his fierce eyes ever
searching for the German worker, his
red mustache bristling over their an
nlhllauon. He seems a figure out of
the past of France.
That night we dined with yet an
other type of the French soldier. the
| general who commands the corps of
which my friend has one division. Each
OF these French generals has a striking
| individuality of his own which wish I
coulo Tx upon paper. Their only COM
| mon point is that each seems to be a
| rare good soldier. The corps general is
Athos with a touch OF d'Artagnon. He
is well over six feet high. bluff, jovial.
with huge. upcurling mustache, and a
voice that would rally a regiment
1t is grand figure which should have
been done by Van Dyck with lace collar.
hand on sword. and arm akimbo. Jovial
and laughing was h, but a stern and
| hard soldier was lul Aing behind the
smiles This name may appear in history.
and So may Humbert's, who rules all
the army of which this officers corps is
unit Humbert is a Lord Roberts
figure, small, wiry. quick-stepping, all
! steel and elastic. with a short, sharp
upturned mustache, which one could
imagine as cracking with electricity in
moments of excitement like a cats fur.
What he does or says is quick, abrupt,
and to the point. He fires his remarks
like pistol shots at this man or that
Once to my horror he fixes me with
| his hard little eyes and demanded
Sherlock Holmes. est ce gull est un
sCldat dams rarmee Anglaise?" The
whole table waited in an awful hush.
Mails. mon general" I stammered, II
est trop vieux pour service" There
was general laughter, and I felt that
I had scrambled out of an awkward
place.
. An Enemy Shot.
And talking OF awkward places, nae
| forgotten about that spot upon the road
whence the German observer could see
our motor cars. He had actually laid q
gun upon 1t. the rascal, and waited all
| the long day for our return. No sooner
did we appear upon the slope than a
shrapnel shell burst above US, but some
what behind me, as well as to the left
| Had 1t been straight the second cal
would have got it, and there might have
| been vacancy in one of the chief edi-
torial chairs in London. The general
| shouted to the driver to speed up. and
we were soon safe from the German gun.