The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-07-04

officers had gone ahead and chalked the
doors and gateposts with the company
letters and statement as to the num-
Der of men that could be accommodated
in each. We of the headquarters staff
thumped on to the chateau. conscious
that hitherto unknown hot spots had
appeared in places on our feet. Ten
minutes later having made good our
claim to bed space on the floors, we
walked into the one small street again.
10 ma 1t sWarming with Americans.
Some Wanted eggs, at any price. Hav-
ing no French, their conception of a
bargain was. to offer more francs until
they got the eggs. Others were hun
cry and still others were thirsty. The
military police had staked out their
horses and had taken possession of the
strategic points at the intersections of
streets. Company officers were stroll
ing about, seeing to it that none of
their men became to enthusiastic after
applications of the wines of the coun-
try. The village men and women and
little children were standing open
mouthed at their doors gazing at this
sudden Eruption of strangers. One
man came suddenly upon a mother WHO
had'just escaped from the country held
by the Germans. She looked at him for
second:
"She is not here" she protested.
''She is not here"
The woman of the house led her away
gently ut was her daughter, M 'sieu,"
she explained. ''Smce then" she
touched her forehead with finger tip.
Men ate ravenouslv. 1t seemed
hardly possible for them to get enough.
Then they rolled in their blankets and
slept soundly on the hay of the mows
and on the floors of the houses. The
first days hike after a rest is always
the hardest, no matter how short it
may be. We had made hardly more
than thirteen miles that day, yet the
coasts of the little streams were lined
with men giving first aid to blistered
feet and every malingerer in the regi-
ment furnished up is.best excuse and
sought to escape the next days tramp.
II was of no avail
Next morning we rose at 2:30 and
we're on the road ip the inky darkness
of O'Clock. Roaring motor cars es-
capped marching columns by miracles.
The great French camions. driven by
over tired men trouped down the middle
of the street. Mules brayed and men
swore and officers who had but an hours
sleep the previous night rasped at the
men in morning discomfort. By SUM-
rise all was well. The rhythmic tramp
had become almost musical. Shoulders
swinging under So pound packs, instead
drocping weakly forward. The fine old
army jests, which have been handed
down through generations of soldiers,
were being banded about.
BY ten o'clock, after six hours of
marching, the column was silent. One
began to look forward to the l0-mnute
rest which is allowed at the end of each
fifty minutes of hiking. At the rests
the men threw themselves prone on the
ground, or dropped in their tracks on
the road and rested their heads upon
their mountainous packs. They COM
pared their lot bitterly with that of the
French and British soldiers, who do
their hiking in trucks" according to
their angry complaining who very,
very frequently do that very thing.
Now and then mule gave out because
feed has been short lately, and once a
wagon broke down, and the wagon mas
ter seemed to think that such thing
had never happened in any other army.
The men came into town after fifteen
miles with heads hanging and sweat
streaming down their faces.
Yet twenty minutes later the streets
were alive with soldiers, running bust
ly to and fro, laughing, arguing, hunt
ing eggs. Half an hour later the crap
games began in every sunny corner,
sheltered from the searching winds of
Northern France. An hour later the
rolling kitchens were bllIowing smoke