The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-12-21


can flag on my breast, French flag
beneath it and beneath that the war
cross. He kissed me on both cheeks,
of course, which was taking advantage
of cripple. But it is the usual thing
with the French, as you know--I mean
the kissing. not the meanness to
cripples.
When he had pinned the medal on
he said he thanked me from the bot
tom of his heart for the French people,
and also thanked all the Americans
who had come over from their own
land to help country with which
most of them were not connected. He
said it was war in which many ma
tons were taking part, but in which
there were just two ideas, freedom
and despotism, and lot more things
that cannot remember. He finished
by saying that he wished he could dec
crate all OF us.
OF course it was great stuff for me
and / thought l was the real thing
sure enough, but I could not help
thinking of the remark I have heard
here in the States-"I thank you and
the whole family thanks you" And it
was hard not to laugh. Also it seemed
funny to me, because I did not rightly
know just what they We're giving me
the medal for-though it was for one
of two things-and do not know to
this day. But thought it would not
be polite to ask, so I let it go at that.
There were twelve other naval off,
GERS who were present and they end
all the other people did lot of cheer
ing and vived me to q fare-you-well.
1t was great stuff, altogether, and /
should have liked to get medal every
DAY.
One day received letter from q
man who had been in my company in
the Foreign Legion and with whom I
had been pretty chummy. His letter
was partly in French and partly in
English. It was all about who had
been killed and who had been wound
ed. He also mentioned Mursay's
death, which he had heard about, and
about my receiving the Croix de
Guerre. / was wishing he had said
something about Brown, whom / had
not heard from and who knew would
visit me if he had the chance.
But two or three days later got
smother letter from the same man and
when I opened it out tumbled photo.
graph. At first all / saw was that it
was the photograph of man crucitied
with bayonets, but when I looked at
it closely / saw it was Brown.
tainted then, just like a girl.
When came to could hardly make
myself think about it. Two of my
pals gonel 1t hurt me so much to
think of it that / crushed the letter
up in my hand, but later OF could
read parts Of it. 1t said tDey had
found Brown this way near Dixmude
about two days after he had been re-
ported missing. So three Of us went
over and two stayed there. 1t seems
very strange to me that both of my
pals should be crucified and if were
superstitious do not know what
would think about it. 1t made me
sick and kept me from recovering as
FAST as | would have doAa otherwise.
Both Brown and Murray were good
pals and very good nell in a fight.
often think Of them beth and about
he things we did together, but lately
have tried not to think about them
much because it is very sad to think
what torture they must have had to
stand. They were both OF great credit
% this country.
The American consul visited me
luite often and got to calling him
Sherlock because he asked so many
questions. We played lots Of games
mostly with dice, and had a
treat time generally. After | became
he argued with me that
had seen enough, and though really
lid think so-however much | disliked
'Aot hou SCCU-llC SoL my UIsCHdISC
rom the service on account of phys
cal inability to discharge the usual
luties. After had been at the hos
,ital for little over month / was
discharged from it, after little party
n my ward with everyone taking part
nd all the horns blowing and all the
ecordS except my favOrite dirge
'layed one after another.
Sherlock arranged everything for
ne-my passage to New York, cloth
ne, etc. | ran up to st. Nazaire and
aw my grandmother, loafed around
while and also visited Lyons.
After short time / returned to
'rest and got my passage on the
teorgic for New York. / had three
runks with me fun of things / had |
licked up around Europe and had
cen keeping with my grandmother.
,mong my belongings were several |
lings I should like TO show by pho
ographs In this book, but no one but
can see them now, for down
, the locker of Davy Jones thoy went.
(To BE CONTINUED.)
Shrines to Foxes.
There are numberless shrines 10