The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-11-14

Paris with him for q pou-vo~ with q
few British, French and Belgians, tc
return via some Of the sectors. II
was on our way that we learned what
startling success had attended thu
opening Of our first major offensive
and We ran through the conferences In
hurry, and then sped out toward tn,
northeast, 20, fresh summary Of ,hs
days events from point well up
turned in for 3 wink Of sleep and con.
tinued a, dawn. He went as an ex-
peril think you know Of him n
Chief Of Intelligence and one Of the
most brilliant, and on top Of his sbil-
i,y. lovable man in the army. ! knew
him slightly at Warrington. Here he
has been one with whom ] had q great
deal TO do and whom ! have liked as
much as ! have admired him. There
could be no better man to 70 with on
such a trip. ] went az greenhorn
but an interested one, and saw things
which had hardly hoped ! would ever
be able to see, and things which rs 3
matter Of fact, few got an opportunity
10 see.
! wonder II you have any idea OF the
phantasma Of great battle--not only
the combat work but the service in the
rear. The dull rumble Of the guns,
split by the heavy crash Of large
piece, all constantly growing louder.
On my best previous trip, during the
Boche offensive through the Ourcq
Valley to the Marine, there was one
tragic sight OF which ! wrote which on
this occasion was not present, the
bands Of evacues miserably trudging
back TO safety That, thank God, was
not in this spectacle; may such sights
on French soil be few hereafter The
rumble grows, the rising sun dissi-
pates the dark through which the
previous night had been seen the fash
Of the guns. We speed past creaking
wagon trains; we pause at ross-way
to permit train Of camions to thun-
der past. A cloud Of dust opens and
an ambulance train going nearly
empty, returning full comes through.
Fresh artillery rolls up to add its
barking to the uproar. A once-bom-
barded village, some headquarters or
other; nobody excited, messages re-
ceived and given quietly; little
damning Of the telephone and the
courier, but little visible emotion save
in facial expression, and not much
there A machine gun company, mule
or horse drawn, goes up at walk.
We check off more information on the
map, reboard the car which is driven
by sergeant who as driver for some
plutocrat had driven through France
every summer for dozen years, and
move on A field evacuation hospital
filled to overlooking, ambulances
bringing men in for second treatment
as rapidly as other ambulances can
carry the freshly bandaged cases back
to the base hospital. The American
wounded grin and wave a free hand.
"We're giving 'em hell, sir" one sings
out. "And Pm coming back to hit him
again some day." A boy with a
crushed leg and broken arm says, at
amt so bads long as ! got my health
and strength And even the medico,
who hasn't quit work in SO CHASTITY |
hours, snorts at the kids nerve.
Another dustcloud such as march
ing men raise. From it energies the
disguised face of husky doughboy,
plucked from the front line to escort
prisoners to the rear. Behind him a
long column Of fours, Boche prison
ers, still dazed from the celebrity with
which they have been tossed from
Boche-land into prison camp, still
wondering how it is that those wild
Americans were able to swim across
an ocean which Berlin has sworn
transports cannot pass, puzzled, per-
picked, suspicious Of some fraud in all
this opposing evidence. Beside the
column and behind is few more
huskies, speeding up their Fritzies so
as to get back toward the front the
more quickly. Ahead another and
longer column, ahead another, until I
one wonders whether the whole front
has caved in. 1t hasn't-yet,
We arrive at advanced headquarters
in time to learn that new attack is
imminent, and almost as we glance at
our watches the guns resume their full
chorus, drowning out the comparative
ly feeble din Of the earlier fire. There
is a pause. and one knows the attack
by the infantry is under way. Soon
comes the news Of il by variety of
sources. The same calm prevails.
There is no yelling back here, no bawl-
ing Of orders just calm, grim
glance at maps. scrubbed note, few
words into the phone. An orderly