The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-04
~ GEORGE RANDOLPH cHEsrER
and Lillian Chester.

OUO 6UuoU SUOOS0rs
Paris. March 3.-Bressac lay list
lessly in his little white cot in his
little white room. oblivious to all the
sounds of the big hospital. Ills eyes
were staring at the dim. high ceiling,
and his hand lay motionless on the
coverlet. The only movement in him
was at regular intervals Of about Is
minutes. when his brows knotted
tensely. after which he closet his eyes
for a while.
The reason for that monotony OF
slight movement was this; Bressac
was In the fog with Janet and Mau.
peta, and 1t was raw. chilly morning.
The ground was rough, pItted and
Scared with projectiles OF every size
from mere bullets to big shells. There
was barbed wire scattered all around.
and from some place nearby came the
rattiing purr Of the machine gun they
had been sent out to find.
Dimly he could distinguish the half
dozen other men OF the detachment.
Coulon in the lead. standing out a
little way from the rest.
Suddenly there was a veer In the
direction OF the sound OF the machine
gun fire, and Coulon fell face down.
ward and lay perfectly still. A man
came running from the group OF which
Coulon had been part. It was Lieu.
tenant Lombardin. followed by the
rest OF his men. and, as he passed
Bressac and Janet and Maupeta. he
called out:
Over there they are!"
They all ran after him, and sudden-
~. through the mist. they came in
sight OF an old shell crater which had
been supplied with very carefully con-
ceaied Notifications. and from there
three machine guns were pumping
lead at the scattered Trenchmen.
Here they are!" cried Lieutenant
Lombardin. and. pistol in hand, led
the way straight into that murderous
fire.
The man next to sressae
dropped, az they ran side by side.
It was Janet. Hs was eressae's
best friend. Tho man Just ahead
OF ersssae fell, rose, staggered for.
ward, jumped for the crater. and
| tumblsd over and over down in.
side il.
That was Lombardin. There were
; half dozen Of them rushing together
fright at the edge Of the crater, when
Bressac suddenly ceased to remember,
' to know, to feel. to exist!
4 When he comes to that point his
r brows always knit: then he closes his
n eyes in exhaustion for three or four
] minutes. As soon as his mind has
rested Itself. it goes back to him in
q the fog with Janet and Maupeta, and
;, from then on. always including Coulon
I eating bread, to the edge Of the crater
\ where he knows nothing more.
! All this is automatic. Bressac has
no interest in it. or in anything else
The director came In. a tall, lear
$ old fellow. with glistening bald head
: and fringe of white hair, and the
n wrinkles of humor around his eyes
lie. too. gael down at Bressac con
q templative; but he was a man who
had inside eyes. and he had seer
. countless Bressacs since this war be.
gan.
! Good evening. Bressac" A yer,
a. gentle tone. one calculated not t.
arouse sleeper.
> No movement.
We'll have you out in a couple Of
!, weeks. Bressac. my boy!"
Would they? No stirring of vitalit,
;, in Bressac over that cheerful an.
J, nouncement.
He was at that ebb in the struggl,
;, between life and death where it mad,
!, no difference to him whether he LIVED
: or not.
Everything was too much trouble,
The director studied Bressac will
his inside eyes. then he hunted tn,
:, doctor In those upper wards wher
stupor and pain and fever held swa,
over the rows Of white cots
~ us 1t safe to move Bressac?"
y "When?'
u. Tonight"
!" TN see. A slight pause. sIIe need
Ruvel and Villier and Hamotaque an,
= Joisseau and Etienne." He ratified
off like a prescription.
Bressac awoke, as usual. in the col
gray fog. He was with Janet an
Maupeta. From some place nearb
~ came the purr Of machine gun fire
ne No. There was something wrong wit
ne the sound this time
rs 1t was more like the tinkle of
n. musical instrument.
ne There was a laugh: unmistakabl
er there was a laugh!
T. Bressac frowned at the interruption
s. as he opened his eyes wider an
n. turned his head.
ne His room was larger. much larger
rs there was another bed by the side q
n. his. and In 1t sat a fellow with blac
in hair and bristling black mustach,
s. and wide grin which disclosed til
st fact that two front teeth were miss
-. ing. This was villiere. and he had
at mandolin.
er "Allo!" said villiere cordiaIs.
ng catching Bressac's eye. villiere ha
been learning English in the trenche
and enjoyed the accomplishment.
a laugh from the door. where ieane
a saucy poilu with n rakish cap an
o. a cigaret in his mouth.
a. Say your other American wor,
tn Silliere." invited this poilu In Frencl