The Carlisle independent., 1918-08-08
CHAPTER W.
On the Firinc Line.


 When l reported on the Cassard after my fourteen days leave, I was detailed with a detachment of the legion to go to the Flanders front. l changed into the regular uniform of the legion, which is about like that of the infantry. with the regimental badge-a seven-fiamed grenade.
 We travelled from Brest by rail, in thfrd-class cars. passing through La Havre and St. Pol. and finally arriving at Bergues. From Bergues we made the trip to Dixmude by truck-a dis tanee of about twenty miles. We car ried no rations with US. but at certain places along the line the train stopped. and We got out to eat our meals. At every railroad station they have booths or counters, and French girls work day and night feeding the Poilus. IL was a wonderful sight to see these girls, and it made you feel good to think you were going to fight for them.
 It was not only what they did, but the way they did it, and ii is al things like this that the French beat the world. They could tell just what kind of treatment each Poilu needed. and they saw to it that he got it. They took special pains with the men of the legion, because. as they say. We are strangers" and that means, "the best we have is yours" to the French. These French women, young and old, could be mother and sweetheart and sister all at the same time 10 any hairy old ex-convict in the legion. and do it in way that made him feel like lit tie boy at the time and rich church member afterwards. The only thing we did not like about this trip was that there were not enough stations along that line. There is a tip that the French engineers will not take, am afraid.
 French women that have noticed, and that is this: There are pretty girls in every country under the sun. but the plain girls in France are prettier than the plain ones in &.her countries. They might not show ,4n photographs, but in action there is something about >hem that you cannot explain. have
 -er sSen an ugly French girl who -e-e 16t easy to look at.
 n12e finally got to Dixmude, after spent about eighteen hours on the way. On our arrival one company was sent to the reserve trenches and my company went to the front line trench. We were not placed in train ing camps, because nost of us had been under fire before. l never had, but that was not supposed to make any difference. They say if you can stand the legion you can stand any thing.
 ton trench, we were drawn up along side of crossroad for a rest, and to receive certain accoutrements. Pretty soon we saw bunch of Boches com ing along the road, without their guns a few of them being slightly wounded. Some of them looked scared and oth- CTS happy, but they all seemed tired. Then we heard some singing, and pret- ty soon we could see an Irish corporal stepping along behind the Huns, with his rife slung over his back, and every once in a while be would shuf- fle bit and then sing some more. He had grin on him that pushed his ears back.
 The British noncom who was de- tailed as our guide sang out: What kind of time are you having, PatT'
 The Irishman saiuteG with one hand, dug the other into his pocker and pulled out enough watches to make you think you were in pawn shop. "Oh. foin toim I'm havin'," he says. 'I got wan from each of thim