New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-29

ANYBODY ever returned they'd die OF
thirst. for the condenser was their only
means Of getting water, and sea water
at that.
I'VE found big store and watered
our horses-with bottles Of Van Riebek
water. They sell it ninepence a bottle,
and it's a decent table water. Gee! 1t
was funny to see those thirsty horses.
There were 300 of them, and the sneez-
ing that went on when the poor things
tucked their noses into the fizzy water IN
heir nosebags was funny. You know
what aerated water is, and you bet 1t
tickled their nostrilS. But they drank 1t,
all right. for aerated water is better
than going thirsty. Only, bet the pool
beasts wondered what we were up to.
About thirty-fve of my troop wan
dered round in the hope of wash some
where. We could find baths all right,
but there was nothing to fill them. How
ever. we had wash of sorts-and it was
a wash I'll never forget. We'd come
across a chemists shop, but the only
liquid we could find was scent-violet,
lily-of-the-valley, Persian perfumes and
the rest. Well, we got the chemists
mortar and emptied all the bottles we
could find. 1t was a grand mixture, and
the thirty-fve of us washed in it-not
forgetting the scented soap. | was
about fifth, and my hands smelt for
days afterward That touch of the knut
in the desert tickled my fancy.
and then, after a scrap with the
Germans who were hanging around, we
gathered in the spoilS-only we had to
be Jolly careful not TO touch churches
or private houses. The looting of b.
gensveldt makes me laugh, even now.
Men took such funny things, but the
majority were keenest on drinks. We
sat around for an hours rest, and the
bottles were passed around. There was
cherry brandy, old Jamaica rum, beer
and variety of light wines. Some
sampling went on, | can tell you, and we
were all getting very merry and bright
when along came the sergeant.
'S-S-a-addle up
so we saddled up. Then came our
commanding officer
"'Mountp
But to mount our gee-gees was
task beyond our powers. Every man
Jack of us tried, but the stirrups were
in twos and threes, and even the caustic
remarks of the C. O. didn't get us on to
our horses backs.
"Dem you, Must show you how to
do it?' And with the words the c. 0.
gave a mighty spring. 1t was such a
spring that it took him clean over the
back of his horse, and he alighted on the
ground on the other side.
LEAD your horses was the next
command. And we led them, or perhaps
they led us.
Il have no memory of that fOur-mile
trek out to camp for the night. | only
know that slept like log. 1t was the
next morning that | found my sense of
humor.
THE Honorable Ben called me early,
and we wandered around. I'd head of
lead and fire. but sense enough to see
things.
"a little later the camp was aStir with
much grooming and many wall for
water 1t was the morning move which
struck me so funny. Nothing so laugh
able as the looters do hope to see again.
There was one fat fellow who'd taken a
frock coat and high silk hat. That
wouldn't have been so extraordinary if
he hadn't also taken pair of purple
striped paiamas. With some vague idea
in his muddled brain of the night before
that he must prepare for bed, he'd
drawn on the trOuser portion over his
breeches, and to see his spurs sticking
out of those purple mOnstrosities with
the frock coat above was too much for
me.
There was one fellow with a gramo-
phone on his back and several bottles of
wine hanging from his DIS. He'd tied