The Jasper news., 1918-08-08


world. They could tell Just whnt kind
of treatment ench Poilu needed, and
they saw to 1t that he got 1t. They
took special pains with the men Of the
legion, because, as they say, we are
strangers" and that means, f'the best
we have is yours to the French. These
French women, young and old, could
be a mother and sweetheart aud a
sister all at the same time to any hairy
old ex-convict In the legion. aili do 1t
In way that made him feel like a lit
tie boy at the time and a rich church
member afterwards. The only thiag
we did not like about this trip was
that there were not enough stations
along that line. There is tip that
the French engineers will not take. ]
am afraid.
There is another thing about the
French women that have noticed. and
that is this: There are pretty girls In
every country under the sun. but the
plain girls In France are prettier than
the plain ones In other countries. They
might not show II In photographs, but
In action there is something about
them that you cannot explain. have
never seen an ugly French girl VINO
was not easy to look at.
We finally got to Dixmude. after
having spent about eighteen hours on
the way. On our arrival one company
was sent to the reserve trenches ana
my company went to the front line
trench. We were not placed In train
ing camps. because most of us had
been under fire before. never had,
but that was not supposed to make
any difference. They say IL you can
stand the legion you can stand any
thing.
Before we entered the communities.
tion trench, we were drawn up along
side of crossroad for a rest, and to
receive certain accoutrements. Pretty
soon we saw q bunch of BOches COM
ing along the road, without their guns,
few of them being slightly wounded.
Some of them looked scared and oth-
ers happy, but they all seemed tired.
Then we heard some singing, and pref
ty soon we could see an Irish corporal
stepping along behind the Huns. with
his rifle slung over his back. and
every once in while he would shuf'
file bit and then sing some more. He
had a grin on him that pushed his
ears back.
The British noncom who was de-
tailed as our guide sang out: What
kind of time are you having, Patf'
The lrishman saluted with one
hand, dug the other int his pocket
and pulled out enough watches to
make you think you were in a pawn
shop. "Oh, foin toim I'm havin',"
he says. II got wan from each Of thin
| fellas." We counted fourteen prison
ers in the bunch. Pat sure thought he
was rolling In wealth.
| After we were rested up we were
issued rifles, shrapnel helmets and
belts. and then started down the com.
munlcation trench. These trenches
are entrances to the fighting trenches
and run at varying angles and vary
ing distances apart. They are sell
dom wide enough to hold more than
one man, SO you have TO march single
file In them. They wind In and out
according to the lay of the land, some
parts Of them being more dangerous
than others. When you come to
dangerous spot you have to crawl
sometimes.
There are 80 many cross trenches
and blind alleys that you have to have
q guide for long time, because with
out one you are apt to walk through
an embrAsure In fire trench anC
right out into the open, between thu
German front line and your own
Which is hardly worth whilel
If any part of the line is under fire
the guide at the head of the line Is oil
the lookout for shells. and when h
hears one coming he gives the sigma
and you drop to the ground and wal
until 1t bursts. You never get all tn,
time you want, but at that you hav'
plenty of time to think about thing
while you are lying there with you
face In the mud, waiting to hear tn
I sound of the explosion. When yol
hear 1t, you know you have got at leas
one more to dodge. If you do not hea
it-well, most likely you are worrying
more about tuning your thousand
string harp than anything else.