Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-11-29

Gu u euJOJ ILLS DdTTdSe VI IHSuftS ana
, did not In any way attempt to curtail
, the prisoners remarks. This, at the
; time, struck me as depicting a remark
able sense Of fairness, apd later on,
during my service on the western
front, found out that the French
man In all his dealings is fair and
just.
Pretty soon the prisoners faded out
IL Of sight and we came alongside the
dock at Bordeaux. / was all eagerness
and strained my eyes so as not to miss
the least thing. The dock was full of
French cavalrymen, hurrying to and
/ fro. Huge TurcOs, black as the ace
of spades, with white turbans on
their heads, were majestically strid-
ing about.
! After we warped into the dock and
made fast, our work was over. We had
nothing to do with the unloading of
the horses. The French cavalrymen
came aboard with a bunch of cavalry
halters hanging over their arms. 1t
was marvel to see with what ease
and efficiency that ship was unload
ed. The condition of the horses was
pitiful. They could hardly bend their
legs from stiffness. They would hob
Bile down the gangplank and stand
trembling on the dock. In about a
minute or so they would stretch their
necks way up into the air and seem
to be taking long breaths of the pure
air. Then they started to whinny.
They were calling backward and for
ward to each other. Even though I
did not understand horse language, I
knew exactly what they were saying.
They were thanking the good Lord
for their deliverance from that hell
ship, and were looking forward to
green pastures and a good roll in the
dirt. Pretty soon you could see them
bend their forelegs and lie down on
the dock; then try to roll over. It
was pitiful; some of them did not
have the strength to turn over and
they feebly kicked. Pretty soon the
whole dock was mass of rolling
horses, the Frenchmen jumping
around, gesticulating and jabbering.
After getting the horses up, they
we're divided into classes according to
heir height and weight. Then each
horse was led into a ring chalked out
IN the dock and the army inspectors
examined it. Very few were reject
d. From this ring Of chalk they
we're led into portable stall and
branded. You could hear the sing
ong voice of the brander shouting out
What sounded like "Battry Loo" As
lie yelled this, French private would
ONE over, get the horse which had
cen branded, and lead 1t away.
.ot in conversation with an inter-
refer and he informed me that the
verage life of these horses in the
'rench army was three days, so these
DOR horses had only left that hell
hip to go into worse hell of bursting
bells and cracking bullets.
l, after passing rigid examination
$ to my nationality, and being issued
cattleman's passport, inquired my
ay to the prefecture of police. I
eliverd to him q sealed envelope
hich / had received in New York.
pom opening it, he was very gracious
} me and l went into a rear room,
here the interpreter put me through
grilling examination. From there
was taken to a hotel, and the next
orning in the company of sergeant
I'd private, got into little match
* compartment on the funniest look
g train ever saw. The track SEEM
to be about three feet wide; the
heels of the cars looked like huge
gwheels on an engine minus the
gs. After humping, stopping, and
metimes sliding backwards, in &c
urs we reached little town. Sup
es were piled up as high as houses.
icers and enlisted men were hurrying
and fro, and l could see long trains
supply wagons and artillery limbers
ways moving in the same direction.
was ushered into the presence of
french officer, who, later found out,
8 brigadier general of the quar-
master corps. / could hear a dis
1t booming, and upon inquiring
md out that it was the guns OF
lnce, striving to hold back the Ger.
n invaders. trembled all over
h excitement, and a feeling that I
mot describe rushed over me. I was
ening to my first sound of the guns
the western front
'wo days afterward I again reached
-deaux, and shipped to New York
the French liner Rochambeaux.
IN arriving in New York 1 reported
the Frenchman who had sent me
r. He was very courteous, and as
ached out to shake hands with him,
placed both hands on my shoulders
kissed me on the right and left
tx. was dumfounded, blushed all
:, and after receiving the pay that
due me, left.
think I could have borne another
across with horses, but that being
ed upon my return completely got
goat.
went back to the routine of my
e, but everything had lost color and
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