Tombstone epitaph., 1918-09-01
tContinued from last week.
 CHAPTER V.

rear guard stopped again. Four bat teries of our artillery were brought into position and our company. along with machine guns. were ordered 10 protect the artillery. The artillery of- fcers did not think this sufficient pro- lection because the airpianes had dis. covered the presence of strong French cavalry detachments and a cavalry at tack was suspected. However. stronger guard could DSt he provided and there wns nothing to he done but take our position and make the best of the situation. We dug ourselves in 10 the right and left of the batteries. in a field of small pine trees. The ma chine guns were set up and supplied with ammunition. We were then given instructions as 10 what To do in the
 event of cavalry attack. An ol. major Of infantry. With white hair. took command. Our unit was placed with the infantry. bu; our brave" o. fcers disappeared suddenly. To them the defense of the fatherland was the business of private. Since we had been assigned 10 assist infantry. our officers considered themselves super fuous and took French leave.
 This state of affairs affects only pioneer" officers who. when their units are attached 10 infantry or chas- seur divisions. scarcely ever take part in a battle. This was the case with our officers during my whole war ca reer. They remained far away from the cunfire in comfortable security. This is also the case with many in- fantry captains and almost all higher officers. Majors. colonelS, etc. never take part in a storminc attack. was fold and several times I observed this myself.
 Cur instructions were as follows: In the event of cavalry attack. every thing must he quiet. The gun must ne pointed hut hidden. The machine gun must not he fired until fhe major in command gives the order. Then there must he lively. quick fire. Cur batteries fired violently at biplane flying high over them which gave sig nals with star shells which were read only by the observer.
 But the expected attack did not come. the enerny's infantry was not to he seen. We prepared to resume our march and were all ready To move when the order came to bivouac. The spot where we were 10 rest was as usual fixed hy the staff so that they knew where to find us at say time. Hardly had We reached the place when our field kitchen. which We supposed had been lost. appeared as if il had come out of the ground. Those in charge of the field kitches had re ceiyed no knowledge of our losses of 'he last few days and had cooked for the old number. They were greatly surprised on seeing instead of brave company of strong pioneers" lot of ragged. exhausted. crushed human shadows. We were given soup bread. meat. apples and e<ery one received a cigarette. which was more welcome to most of us than food and drink.
 The next morning we slept until six o'clock and even though we were lying on the bare ground il was very hard 10 wake us. Breakfast was excellent. II consisted of mutton which had been reGUisi,ioned. vegetables. bread. coffee. a goblet of wine. anc ham. Our cap tain told us 70 eat all We could as we had hard days march before rs.
 We resumed our march at seven o'clock. Everybody was in high spirits aSf in tte course C. ONT conversations il became apparent that we had lost track of the time entirely. Nobody knew whether it was Monday or Wednesday or whether it was the fifth or tenth of the month. This condition became more and more general Sol diers never know the day of the week; enc is jus. like another, Saturday. Sunday or Thursday.
 We stopped to rest at noon on a large farm but were obliged to wait in the rain for the fieid kitchens. Mean while we helped ourselves. We shot one of the cows grazing in the meadow, cut open the hide without botbering to crnin the blood from the carcass. Then everybody cut ofY a piece of meat. still warm. which was fried in a pot cover or eaten raw with little salt by great many Of the soldiers. This Kill ing of cattle was repeated almost daily by the soldiers acting without orders from their superiors. As consequence they all got stomach trouble from eat ing meat which was foo fresh wifhout bread or vegetables. In spite of this the practice was continued. If sol- dier became hungry during a pause in the marching and found a pig. COW or lamb. he shot it. cut out piece for his own use. and let the rest spoil.
 Cnder a burning midday sun we marched on amid clouds of dust, along . road used by munitions columns and other units. which never gave the dust ap opportunity to settle. In all the fields which we passed. fugitives had set up their camps. where they lived like poor homeless gypsies. Many came up 10 US and begged for scraps of bread