Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-02
BY THOMAS M. JOHNSON.
Copyright, 1881

Copyright. 1881
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, January 30.-"And the regi-
ment will form at 8 o'clock tomorrow
morning. That is all, gentlemen
The colonel laid the typewriter or
der that he had been reading upon the
table. The roomful of officers saluted.
then broke up into small groups, drift
ing toward the door. discussing in low
tones what the colonel had just told
them.
You're on my left, old man. We've
got to keep our liaison all right.
Did you hear what he said. about
one sector being always muddy? Well,
that's my sector. Cheerful, isn't it?"
where am 1? Oh, up in the bald
headed row; hundred yards from the
boche."
The door slammed as the last of the
officers started down the winding
staircase of the old stone marie of De
x that was regimental headquar-
tiers. Out in the main street 1t was
already pitch dark. and the rain tell
silently and invisible. Here and there
crafty as soldiers carrying flashlights
slipped into and out OF the holes and
cutters rain had made in the melting
ice. 1t was cold, the damp. raw cold
of this part of France, that makes
men put on the heaviest woolens they
can get and then try to work the quar-
tern1aster for more.
After a moment when ones eyes be-
came accustomed to the darkness one
could see mysterious half-guesSed
shapes that in a moment more became
truck supply wagons and combat wag-
ons. Farther down the street shower
of sparks like q fire engine betrayed q
rolling kitchen. Two dazzling head
lights shone around corner, and there
was the sQuawk OF a horn. The bright
white beams swept closer.
Zone of Them Ambulances."
"onc them damn ar,bulances." growl-
ed a voice close by, and soldier bent
beneath a bundle OF picks and shovels
splashed to a place OF safety under the
whirring sound the ambulance passed.
its wheels throwing out sheets of mud
dy water.
bawled a voice from the vicinity of
one of the wagons.
Are yuh gonna be all night with
emf" -,
like to see the sergeant lug 'ena any
quicker, an6 passed on "A minute later
there was the rattle and clatter Of the
tools hurled into the wagon.
A stream Of light was thrown across
the road as door opened. 1t was
little. stone walled, heavy raftered barn.
Packed into a corner was wo-wheel-
ed cart of French peasant. Before
it sQuatted on the floor about a low
burning candle were four figures. SOL
diers. earnestly intent on what went
forward.
-c'mon. you bones. Big Dick. now
he threw che dice upon the floor with
a snap of the fingers that bespoke long
practice. Another Of the quartet look
ed up at the intruder and grinned.
mock Dei aram math eea "
us loses. he gets bumped off first."
Next Morning-the Trenches.
The regiment was going to the
trenches in the morning. It would not
be for training this time. The training
stage had passed Tor this rs regiment es thin At
Not = man in the regiment but knew
it, knew that the days Of playing at
war had passed and the days Of war
itself had come. How did they take It?
ing down the street. Az he walked he
sang Justify. albeit his voice ross and
fell systematically as his feet hit spots
high or low.
4 long, long way
ITO the U. S. A.
AN the gal 1 left behind" he sang
Then, having apparently forgotten
the rest Of the song and slipped into a
particularly deep and wet puddle al
the same time he started whistling
~Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie" and
kept at 1t until he had passed from
hearing.
lin an animated conversation. Its bur.
den seemed to be that they were damn
glad to get out Of Of De x and go
where there was something doing.
Aren't they fine! exclaimed q young
Officer who had como up Talk abou
morale! Why, we've got too much o.
it. When you hear men talk that wa,
you feel like saluting them instead Of
| having them salute you. It's the mel
that do the business after all"
ond lieutenants must lead their mel
| in person in most vigorous manner
Casualty lists show that they do ii
Admiration from a second lieutenant II
this war Is worth having.
Still Toiling at Taps.
| They were still toiling to load tn
wagons with all the thousand and on
things that a regiment needs in activ
service when from the steps Of tn
i Marie came the first soft, unforgetabl,
beautiful yet mournful notes of taps
The FREELY flashlights vanished from
the streets. one by one the marrow
threads of light marking shuttere'
billet windows snapped out. the las
foot ball scurTying to quarters died
only that window on the top floor o
The Mairie where the colonel workeI
lrnrained ali1ht The regiment wa