The Nevada County picayune., 1918-08-08

the order had been executed. A re- maining battery of artillery had re- duced the city to ashes.
 The French had made a stand out side the city and resisted to the ur most, but they were outnumbered. It was simply impossible to resist the pressure of the German war machine. When the German columns, with fixed bayonets. attacked to the accompani- ment of their blood-curdling yells which, like their steel. penetrated to the bone, they resembled in every re- speet American Indians going into ac- ton. fiinging themselves with blood curdling yells upon their enemies. After a three-hour fight many French men gave themselves up as prisoners With uplifted hands they sought mercy.
 At last, on the night of August 23 and 24 the enemy's ranks were thrown into confusion and they retired slowly. 1 was in the first detachment which pursued them. To the right and left of the road, in the field and ditches. were dead and wounded.
 The red pantaloons of the French showed brightly on the ground. The field gray of the Germans could hardly be discerned.
 The distance between us and the re- treating French became greater Our soldiers became happier over the out come of the battle and seemed to for get their past hardships. The corpses which filled the roads and ditches were forgotten amid the jokes and songs on every side. The men were already accustomed to the horrors of war to such an extent that they unconcerned- ly walked over the corpses. not even considering it necessary to make a slight detour.
 At noon we halted and were served with dinner from the field kitchens. We were surely hungry enough and our canned soup was eaten with the utmost relish. Many soldiers set their dishes on the bodies of dead horses lying about and ate as gayly as if they were at home at their own tables. The few human eorpses near our camp failed to disturb us. Only water was lacking. and after the dinner our thirst became very acute, even tOrturous.
 We soon marched on. under burn ing midday sun, the dust of the high way lying thick on our uniforms and skin. Now, no more eheerfulnesS was evident anywhere, Our thirst became more unbearable and we grew weaker from minute to minute. Many in our ranks fell, unable to go further. Moth ing remained for our commander ex- eept to halt as he did not wish 10 eX- l hauSt LIS all, As a result of thls halt we were left considerably in the rear and lost our place among those pursu- ing the French.
 About four o'clock we finally saw before Us q village. In the certain eX- | pectation of getting water there we | QuiCkened our pace. Fugitives and empty munition columns passed us. | Among them there was d farm wagon upon which were several civilian pris- oners, apparently franC-tireurs. A Catholic priest was among them. He, like the others, had his hands tied be- hind him with a rope. To our curious questions as to what he had done, we were told that he had melted the farmers to poison the water in the village.
 Soon we reached the village and at the first we'll at which we might have Satis- fed our thirst We found a sentinel posted. He drove us away with a warning that the water was poisoned.
 Disappointed and terribly embit- tered, the soldiers cursed and gnashed their teeth. They hurried on to the next well, but everywhere sentinelS forbade our taking refreshment.
 In an open space in the center of the village was a big well from which there came water clear as crystal that emptied into a big trough. Five sol diers stood guard here to see that no one drank. I was just about to pro ceed with my comrades when a large part of my company threw themselves like men possessed onto the well. The guards were corapletely overcome and. greedy as animals, all the men drank. They quenched their thirst, but not one became i'll. The priest, as we learned later, WIS punished because. the officers said, the water is every village had been poisoned. and we were told that oniy by happy chance had the lives of our soldiers been spared. The God of the Germans had