The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1917-02-16

one else fate had picked out for
them. Then we were sent to Froide
Terre for two weeks, and then to
Fleury-altogether there were fifty
nine days of continual service-not
a single days rest. Really we could
not stop. 1t was raining almost
constantly and we were in mud up
to our waists. Most of our work was
from nine o'clock at night until four
in the morning, hunting for wounded
in the shell-scarred fields. O. Shells
fell constantly around US and every
moment each of us would say, This
one is for me- I repeated that SEN
tence thousands of time, but my turn
never came"
He was speaking all the time as
"we," mentioning the courage of his
comrades and officers more than his
own. What the soldiers worship
most is the heroism of their chiefs.
"We would do anything for our cap
tain. When we see him always 60
ing out of the trenches the first,
singing the "Marseillaise" or with a
cigarette in his mouth no one would
dare to stay behind. And he is as
good to the men as he is brave, look
ing on his men as his children and
giving money to the poor ones. Even
the most undisciplined obey him i'm
plicitly"
"The hardest one to manage was
a Jail bird. He was in prison when
the war broke out and asked to be
sent to the front. He is the best
soldier in all the army, I am sure,
and for his marvellous deeds he has
received all the medals, with the con-
gratulations of his chiefs, and his
remaining term in prison has been
Cancelled. But he is always getting
into trouble, always asserting his in
dependence. To prove that he is
his own master, he refuses to wear
the usual helmet, but goes into the
thick of the fight with an Apache
must protect him, for he has never
received the slightest wound. Once
a general suggested that he should
protect himself with steel helmet,
but he said, 'Melez-vous de ce qui
vous regarde, Je me fche 81 vous
porter I'm casque on non.' ('Mind
your own business. l should worry
whether you wear a cap or not.o
So now no one pays any attention to
him or offers any suggestions
Our boys souvenirs had led him
far from the subject we were so an
vious to discuss, and we had to
press him with questions again to
know when he was decorated. To our
pleasure we learned that he was cited
in the order of the day on the battle
field and afterward made a corporal.
Thus reads his citation:
"On the front since the fourth of
August, 1914. A model of comrade-
ship and heroism. Distinguished HIM
self particularly at the attack of Thi-
aumont. He could have remained in
a shelter, but he volunteered to ac-
company the doctor of another corps,
and for days and nights accomplished
his duty in the midst of the most dam
gerous circumstances"
"There were seven of us to be dec
Grated" he continued. "The ceremo-
ny took place in the wood of Nike
vile, in front of all our company,
just after we had left the most dan
gerous zone and while we were still
ragged and tattered and smeared with
blood and dirt. Our colonel made a
nice speech to each of the others, but
when he came to me he just said, I
have nothing to tell you, my son; l
saw you We had no music, no pa
rade, but we all love our crosses the
more"
And as if he were ashamed of the
emotion he showed, he laughingly add
ed, "The greatest advantage of being
decorated is that have two days more
of holday-eight days instead of six.
And Also" he continued, when | left
that company the captain gave me
the most delicious dinner | ever ate.
We were thirty feet underground in a
kind of cave, only a hundred yards
from the boches. 1t was quite q Sc
lect affair, just us two, and we ate our
dinner, washed down by rare wines, in
the light of few candles and with
our feet in the mud. But it was a
zeal feast"
1t would take pages to tell all the
beautiful, the tragic, the funny stories
| heard that day and the following
ones. They all strengthen my fai'
N France Every day sees irn
homes a repetition of II -
countless are the OC