New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-09

4 FINE. brisk morning; long, tree
y bordered road dapplcd with fugi-
tive sunbeams, making glory Of pud-
dies that leapcd in shimmerinG spray
beneath our flying wheels. A long,
straight road ran on and on unswerV-
ing, I'D hill and down, beneath tall
straight trees that fitted past in never
ending procession, and beyond these a
rolling. desolate countryside o. blue
hills and dusky woods and In the al!
from beyond this wide horizon SOUND
flat rose above the wind gusts ana the
noise Of our going, faint whisper that
seemed in the air close about us ana
vet 10 be of TIE vague distances, Wills
per OF sound a stammerlng mufmuf'
now rising, now falling, but never quite
In rain-sodden fields to right and left
wore many figures bent IN ClllgenC
l. bor. men in wcatner-worn, graE-Dlue
uniforms and knee boots, while on the
roadside were men who lounged, or sat
smoking cigarettes, rife across knees
and wicked-looking bayonets agieam'
wherefore these many German prison
crs toiled with the unremltung uIH-
lence aforesaid.
The road surface improving some'
yhat we went at speed, and as we
lU,ched and swayed the long, stra'ehi
road grew less deserted. Here anu
there transport lorries by ones ana
twos. then whole conveys drawn up pc
side the road, often ankle deep IN mua'
or numbering heavily onward; ana ever
as we went that ominous, stammerlhg
murmur beyond the HORIZON gre"
louder and more distinct -,
on we went. through scattered WI
Iaces. alive with khaki-clad figures with
morions cooked at every conceivable
angle. past leafy lanes bright with the
wink Of long bayoDets; through couh-
trv towns whose wide squares and mar
row Old World streets rang Wlth the
orlorod tramp of feet, the stamp OF
horses and rumble Of gun Whte.s'
yrbere rudy English faces turned 70
stare and broad khaki backs swung
easily beneath their many accout!eI
,onrts And IN street and square ana
b,-street. always and ever was lhaU
,,,,r,ouroue stammCr Of sound, more
ominous and threatening, yet which no
bcdv seemed to heed-nOt even N, my
companion. who pulled his clgarettS,
and twas glad it had stopped rainlhS'
So pickiDg our way through streets
s,broug with British faces, dooGlhE
puns and limbers, wagons ana caiIs "a
an descriptions, we came out upon 'he
omen road again. And mere lheIe
bcinp no surface at all to speak o. We
rcrforce went slow, ana / "atche"
where. lust in front, string OF IorIl'5
numbered heavily along, pltchlhS. an"
rolling very much IKE oo"'s J" d
choppy sea. ,..... u. column
80 ~, oGicers a-horse and a-ioot WIN
the long files behind, but an ga Sian
splashed and spattcred WIN Euu' - 80
tbaee who carried their rliles aHEHO"'
,,bo ,ramped along. rank upon rank;
,,oarv men who showed among thS"
80 and there grim evidence OF oatlie'
,.;n-eod5ar men with hair that chung
20 muddy brows beneath the sIoplnE
- of muddy helmets; men VINO
trar,nod ankle-dccp i'm mud ana VIZ
80, md wbistlcd blithe as blrds' 30
80, snlashed YEARLY through the l"u''
',nborne in their fatigue by iha' m
Spr,;trble spirit that has always n"u'
Inc Briton the fighting man ne u.s. .,
A. second speed we fooled a'oh@
-, behind The lorries, who "'I-
TSStino as bad weather Of II a. e'Cl'
when all at once caught my pre- pre-,
s1J leaning from the car, SAY peioII
S @s'' company of HighlandcTs, TIER III
,,s-erlssbcd knees aSwing togfther'
IT, Khaki kits swaying in rhyth,.,1'
, ,bcir long bayouc;s atwinkle, While
down the wind came the regular tramp p
az" nS .bcir feet and the wild, frenz.sd
waiIing o. their pines. soon we were 5i
Na'l VIII them, bronzcd, stalwart ug-
no rp grim lighters from muddy spaii,
1 Iie-, L5sbes 10 steel helmets, beneath
wb;c6 ewes turned to stare at us-eyts
E NJ AID merry, eyes dark and sombtte
W" oS they swung along to the h!''ns
music OF the pipes. L..,,r,
" Al the rear the stretcher bearers bearer !,
rocrcbcd, the rolled up stretcAeis uPon
Nor shoulders, but even so'-oy various ,l''ll',
5srE stains and marks upon mat u'"sy