The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-11-26
By DAMON RVNyON

10y baMttN t6N y ON.
with the American Army in
France, Nov. 10 Delayed )-There
was a very sick little boy in one OF
the long caravans of motor trucks
ioaded with women and children ref
uEees that came from the town of
Wadeiincourt, just outside of Sedan.
this morning. He had "A cough II
was quite bad cough. one old WON
an explained. Tlsre was no doubt
an overturned bucket in truck,
swaddling I'm dIney cloaks thrown
about him by the women, so that only
his face showed
He was crying bitterly At fire.
quent intervals his sobs would be
rhoked by parox%stns Of coughing
lie couldn't have been more than six
years old and at six it is very difficult
TO understand about war It was
very difficult to understand why one
should ride in through rain and mud
@hen one feels very miserable.
Never was there such a rain. It
came down straight like long strings
hung from the sky. 1t was very cof
Inc truck staggered from side to side
/ bounced into holes in the road made
/ by shells. or skidded suddenly, for
yards making it generally most un-
comfortable trip for sick little
4 boy
/ There were a lot OF women in the
truck. also a number Of children. Sew
I era1 pasriarchs, old men with long
boards, made up the balance Of the
strange cargo. Mainly, the trucks
have been employed by men to haul
ammunition and guns with which to
/ XIII the Germans. not for carrying
people, especially sick little boys.
Poor Little Fellow.
II was n most dist regsinr thing m
see this particular little boy ana hear
Ais coughing. His sister was in the
truck with him. She was a tiny
thing looking fer all the world like
/ A quaint doh. She had appealing big
eyes. which she kept turning on her
small brother sympathetically She
/ was perhaps Ave. and at FIVE if IL also
most difficult to comprehend about
war and motor trucks. Finally they
came To stop in the town of Buzancv,
where lot of big men were walk
! Ing around in huge rubber hip boots.
making great noise slushing about in
mud as thick as yaseine, shouting
! These were some OF the Ameri-
cans who had liberated the truck
loads of men, women and children
from Wadelincourt The little sick
boy understood something about the
Americans, His mother had been
telling him about them all the way
from Wadellncourt, but he was 100
sick to take much interest.
His sister and all other people In
the trucks were nightly Interested
however. They poked their heads out
Of the trucks and peered around ex-
citedly. Presently n giant young
American came through the mud.
tslipping and sliding under the weight
of big cans OF steaming chocolate.
A negro soldier drifted along,
drawn by curiosity. He was a pictur-
esque figure. in his steel helmet and
long ''slicker" and his boots. Ruzancy
is the capital OF Eipbootsville Hip
louisville g all that country around
the American front. Everybody there
wears hiphoots. The black soldier
pered into the van and saw the little
boy who was Just then twisting in a
spell of violent coughing. The negro
wagged his head selemnly
Sympathetic Darkcy
Twas a bad cough at III white boy
got" he commented. Twas ole hoop
in cough, suah as ah'm Twin. Thass
bad thing for a III boy"
He sccnaed to be considering the
matter for some moments. Then he
went sloshing off down the muddy
street between rows OF ruined houses.
his boots giving hack squashy sound.
Meantime the soldiers were ladling
out hot chocolate to the women and
children. They were mighty hungry.
1t was long ride down from Wadel-
ingcourt
In the meantime there came TO Buz-
ancy another line OF refugees afoot.
They were middle aged and young
men who had been held prisoners by
the Germans for nearly four years.
Leading the line w3s a tall French
citizen of solemn appearance, wearing
n plug hat. II was n vintage plug It's
nap looked like the fur of wet kit
ten. It's peak was caved in. 1t was no
such hat as anybody would want to
wear. but nevertheless, Il was hat
the only one this citizen had been
able to secure.
One must have some sort of n hat
on a rainy day. The line had no soon
err paused than an American soldier
WIN hooked .fosG and . strange
sense OF humor snapped his overseas
cap for II. The soldier went away