Evening star., 1918-04-09
LIFE on DONKEY DRIVER AT
FRONT IS FULL OF HARDSTHPS
AIgernon Sartoris, Grandson
of Gen. Grant, Tells Of
Water Carriers Duties.
Among PoIygIot Fighters in
Foreign Legion-Writing
Letters as Side Issue.

tAlgernon sartors. grandson Of Gen. Q. 9.
the war He has written for The Evening Star
and the Chicago Daily News several entertain
ing sketches of life with the legion, of which
this is the frst.)
BY ALGERNON SARTORIS.
Correspondence of The Evening Star
and Chicago Daily News.)
WITH THE FOREIGN LEGION.
March I've were in little village.
When say I'VE" mean the Foreign
Legion. more especially the I'd Battalion
and the 7th Company, to which 1 was
attached. Rumors were current that
the next evening would see us another
twenty or thirty kilometers or so be-
yond in the trenches. We had just re-
turned from a long and thirsty march,
for it was intensely hot, and I was
very much annoyed indeed when I was
detailed for guard duty that same
night.
1 may remark in passing that there
Is nothing more eXaSperating in all
military life than guard duty after q
trying march.
Drives Water Donkeys.
Having adjusted my heavy sack and
equipment. 1 reported to the adjutant.
and found that I. together with an
other fellow, Swiss. was to be given
charge and care of eight little dom
keys, which we had to load with water
and deliver at different appointed
places to our comrades in the first line.
1t was necessary to go in advance OF
the others, who could not move until
6yenfnR-aQ h.
serve in the daytime any large move
ment Of troops-so that we might be
shown by the men we relieved where
to deliver the water to our thirsty men
in the early morning.
The proper and regular delivery of
the water supply obviously is one of
the most vitality important matters in
the trenches. AS l was to learn, 1t
trenches was none too easy. especially
the latter part Of it. the route being
over plowed fields. which were soaked
with rain. The mud clnng 20 our very
boots. and our heavy sacks made it
all the harder for us to advance.
A French regiment was holding the
line then. and a particularly nice trio
were looking after the donkeys. The
latter-little beasts imported from AL
geria-were treated as pets by these
well kept. My Swiss comrade was ac-
customed to farm life, and at first.
when we were with them. they did
not suffer physically. But, alas! their
spite Of all we could do to make good
the supply with grass and what bread
we could collect from that left over,
or too often thrown away. they were
reduced in weight when we left them.
Our sleeping place was quite close to
the donkey shelter, and. needless to say,
below ground. for. often enough shells
and bullets fell fast about US. especially
at night, and this shelter was neces-
sary for our preservation; 1t is true
that the donkeys' habitation was not
below ground, and they had to take
their chances. When was there they
were not hit, which was wonder, in
deed.
easy task. 1t was frightfully cold and
the water froze our hands; then the
"bidons." or pals. were very heavy and
we had to lift them up and put them
into baskets on each side of the don
key. Frequently the beast moved
about, and this added to the difficulty
of the operation. 1 counted that the
ters of an hour, including putting on
their most primitive equipment, il all
went well; IL it did not, and it fire.
quently did not, 1t took much longer
This meant getting UP at about
o'clock on cold, bleak. freezing
morning. 1t was no pleasure.
Once the donkeys were harnessed we
tethered them to trees and went in
sarch of our "taffia" of coffee. The
"taffia"-for the benefit of the unini-
tiated-is a sort of rum, but not quite
rum, which forms part Of the usual
rations of the French army. It Is very
warming on cold morning, and the
quantity allowed is small. so that II
does no harm. In it's pure state 1t is
strong, but 1t is frequently diluted
They gave US no breakfast other than
this. though we generally kept over
some bread from the day before to eat
with it. After the "taffia" we proceed
ed to fill the buckets with water, and
to load the beasts, and we were lucky
II we got of at am. 1t was still
dark, and we were thus protected in
the open places.