Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-14
sBY THOMAS M. JOHNSON.

NCopyright. 1917. All rights reseryedl
FqELD HEADQUARTERS. AMERI-
CAN-ARMY IN FRANCE. october "a
A big khaki colored Army truck went
splashing along a road somewhere in
tho American zone on one of those
rainy days that are SO frequent IN
Fr8nce, when the whole universe seems
to give itself over to the one great
task of getting as wet as possible
on the drivers seat chauffeur and
Guard huddled under their ponchos.
while water rolled from them in minia-
ture waterspouts. TrudginE down the
road ahead was a French soldier. his
light blue uniform so soaked 1t seemed
black.
Hey. want a rider" shouted the
chauffeur. motioning at the same time
20 a vacant space on the seat.
: "Ah. oui, oui" replied the Frenchman
with the quick comprehension of his
race. and as the truck slowed down he
clambered up between the two Ameri-
cans He was quite a young soldier.
one Of those blond Frenchmen that the
Americans were so surprised to find
plentiful in the army. He pushed back
his dripping soft cloth fatigue cap aIid
smiled comfortably on his new found
friends.
them, "de Verdun, cote trois cent qua
tre," obviously proud of having come
back from that furnace on the west
bank of the Mouse. and then. seeing
that the Americans were listening
eagerly, "deux boches tues he heid
up two fingers-"deux boches.' he re-
peated.
"a Regular Guy" Says Chauffeur.
.say. he's a regular guy" said the
chauffeur to his companion. IF l get
the parley right. he's been to Verdun
an killed two boshes."
Of his audience. Several times the
truck nearly skidded into the ditch
while he told about the two Germans.
One he had killed in the big FRENCH
attack Of late August. when Hill 3o4
was taken. The German had killed
smon camarade" and then the young
ster had gone at him "a la baionette
and there was the first notch on his
gun. "a la baionette." he said again,
Trusting viciously into the air with his
hands as II clutching a rifle
He held up his right hand. and sud
, SCARED from the index finger down to
the wrist, a broad white veal "Deux-
feme boche." he said. pointing to the
scar He had been in a trench raid. He
had bumped into a German in the dark.
ness and the German had thrown up
his hands and cried "Kamerad." He had
been new to this kind of thing. and had
motioned his prisoner to go to the rear,
and turned to go on
Suddenly the German dropped his
hands. and there was flash OF steel
He felt a burning, singing sensation
run up his arm-the German was on
him. raising again a long knife. the
terrible couteau du tranchee. "1lma's
coupe" said the soldier. "alors, moij-
avais un revolver, et-il est mort"
Paused for Moment.
He paused a moment to let the full
effect sink in. VOLTA le eouteau, he
clasp knife with a blade eight inches
long, sharp as a razor. The Amerl-
cans fingered it gingerly, fascinated as
children at a dime museum.
The truck had come into hamlet,
few gray stone houses with red tile
roofs, where wet chickens padded
about disconsolately. The Frenchman
made, signs that he wanted to get down;
I'm cigarette?" he asked. producing
q package from an inner recess of his
clothing. The Americans took the Of
feredt cigarettes and the Frenchman
hand into one Of the houses.
Some guy all right" said the chauf-
1eur. Got two boches. one Of EN- with
10 revolver"
Pensiveiy he struck a match. shield
ing It with his poncho from the rain.
and held 1t for the guard to light his
cigarette. then lit his own There was
q pause Of a second or SO as each in
hailed the smoke. then both started
coughing and suffering, almost gasp
ing for breath. With one movement
they hurled the cigarettes out into the
rain, looking at each other with water
ing eyes.
Some Guy, Some Cigarette.
"Great Scott" said the chauffeur. ''he
sure Is some guy But why'n hell didn't
he give them boches a cigaretter'
As 1T happened. those cigarettes re-
5oiced in the name of "Grenades," and
are about as good as any French
cigarettes, they are the only brand
sold on the French dining cars. for
instance. They are good French
cigArettes. but they are not meant for
AM Means to smoke-much less to in
THeke is one brand of French
cfga1otte that can be smoked by Amer
ica1Aff nothing else is available; the
~Ci4&fettes Maryland" but in this is
pitR4. There are two kinds of Mary
an4C those in the yellow package re-
~ Il;