Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-11-13

gust opOS 20 Spen0 C1o u1guI we lett
at once and went about i've miles down
tho road until we came to Q field am
bulance. We found that they had some
spare stretchers. 80 We decided to stay
thera The o6icers servant carried
stretchers In for all Of N, and after
having something to eat We went right
to sleep, as we were tired out
don't believe We had been asleep
more than an hour when shell landed
ln that field ambulancel It tore through
the roof and burst In the room next to
us, killing and wounding eighteen men
who had already been wounded once
l got up In a hurry. but found that th
officer was before me, and when
reached the car he was making himsel
comfortable in the tonneau. I took m,
waterproof sheet and blankets an
made myself a bed on the cobbleatone
under the car. I slept like q log unit
It began to rain. and then got up In
disgust and sat up the rest Of the night
In the driving seat.
The next day we stopped In q little
village called Pradelles. tho place
where the Germans had stood q priest
up against the wall Of his own church
and shot him because he wouldn't give
them the information they wanted
Across from this church was little
"estaminet," where ! went to buy q
bottle Of wine to have with my dinner
You can imagine my surprise when the
Frenchwoman In charge called me an
English pig" and said that she would
sell nothing to the English. I told her
what thought Of her, and she told me
what she thought of me.
She said the English were thieves,
murderers and other nice things and
informed me also that the only true
gentlemen In the world were the Prus-
SLAMS. She certainly had me aroused,
and was going to arrest every one !
could find In the house until her daugh-
ter came In.
She saw at once how things were and
led the old lady upstairs and then ex-
planned that the Germans had taken
her two youngest sisters away and that
since that time her mother had been
insane.
It was outside of Pradelles that we
ran into the Germans and had long
distance scrap. We were not strong.
and we didn't know how strong they
were, 80 we were not pressing them
very hard until some re-enforcements
came up. I think they were In the
same position, for they didn't try to get
to close quarters. So we kept at It all
afternoon until at night the Germans
retired, and We camped little farther
on and waited for our main body to
come up. Our casualties numbered only
about twenty dead, and we buried them
In the churchyard before We left
Ipassed through Pradelles about two
months later, and ! went into the
churchyard where those chaps were
buried. The people Of the village have
set little white crosses at the head Of
each grave. On eich cross are the name
lying below. and under that d Mort
lie Ia Champ d'Honneur." Il was .
most thoughtful thing for those poor
peasants to do.
It was In q village called Outrasteene.
quite near Pradelles, that I 6rst saw
the Prince Of Wales. he was with Sir
John French. and they were review
ing a brigade that hadn't been In the
country very long. He Is nice look
ing fellow, but very boyish In appear.
ance He Il liked by the men and
quite often will 60 and sit among them
and talk to them.
Soon after this receives orders to
prepare for q two day journey In the
car. I didn't know where l was to 60
until the night before was to start.
and then was told that was to go
to Paris to get an officer who was wait
Ing for ne there. OF courseeI was de-
lighted. for hadn't been In any large
city for long time.
Paris Is more than 200 miles from
WucIo NO WcEo ShSh' ouo NY oAuoAc
were to make 1t In one day. While It
was long journey. felt that It would
be well worth 1t, so set out with q
light heart At Lillers I hit the main
Paris road, and 1t was glorious. There
Is no speed limit for dispatch car.
and you bet l was flying my blue and
white flag that day. Straight down
through St venant. st. Pol Doullens
and Amiens I few, and about $50 I
came to the outskirts Of Paris. was
surprised on entering the capital to
find 30 few British soldiers. I knew
that we had several permanent bases
In the vicinity, and expected to find
the place swarming with Tommisa.