The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-03-27

clock and then both laughed because
it proved my old contention that if a
man goes to bed with his mind made
up to get up at a certain time he is
almost certain to wake up right on the
dot unless he is so dead tired that a
barrage would not wake him.
We got down to the station in plen-
ty Of time and managed to get into
fairly decent car. On the way up we
met a French civilian who could talk
English and we discqvered that he was
from the same town that we were go
ing to. We asked him if he knew the
family whom we were going to visit
and he said that he did, adding that
if we were going to visit them it would
be better to wait till about noon as
they worked late in the evening and
probably would not be up at that hour
of the morning. Thy train got into
the little town, which is called Con-
court at eight o'clock, so Lem and l
decided to go on up to Neufchateau
and catch truck back sometime dur
ing the day. We landed at Neufcha-
teau about nine and Immediately got
something to eat. We then hunted up
the truckmaster to see if there was
anything going down toward Con
court. He said that there would not
be anything going to Goncourt till af
ter dinner. There was truck just
starting out for Gondrecourt then for
some equipment that was to be return /,
ed to Goncourt that afternoon. 1t
would be along about three o'clock.
Well, Lem, was rather disappointed
but we made the best of bad thing
and decided that we would take this |
truck up as far as Domremy in the
morning and catch it back in the af
ternoon. Here is where the fun be-
gan.
just on the outskirts of Neufcha-
teau we passed a couple of pretty
swell looking little French girls who
were apparently going in our direc-
ton. Well, the driver was pretty
good sort of fellow and it did not
take much arguing to get him to give
the girls lift. We managed to get
them into the back end Of the truck
and as we had canopy up it was
pretty hard to see that they were in
there. But, luck was against US be-
cause we had not much more than got
started when we were stopped by one
of these self-appointed Brigadier-
Generals bearing the rank of Second
Lieutenant. He told the driver that
he had sprained his ankle and wanted
him to turn around and take him back
to Neufchateau. The driver told him
that he could not do that but was will
ing to take him to Gondrecourt He
sad that he was in too much OF a
hurry to turn around. Then the Looie
got curious and wanted to know what
kind of a load he had that was so I'M
portant that he couldn't take little
time off for so important person as
Lieutenant.
He therefore appointed himself as
an investigating committee of one to
look into the matter and he discover
ed the four of US in the back end of
the truck. AS soon as he saw what was
in there his sprained ankle became i'm
mediately cured and he made it over
the end-gate in one jump. The, first
thing he said was, "Well, boys, l sure
am much obliged. guess don't want
to go to Neufchateau after all. This
IS good enough for me-" thought a
minute and then invited him to make
himself at home as it appeared to me
that he had had a couple of drinks too
many somewhere and l did not know
which way he would jump. He could
use his authority or be good fellow
and join thr party and no one would
ever be the wiser. Well, what he did
was order us out Of the car and the
girls were going with him. | said, Il
beg your pardon, Lieutenant, but don't
you think that the girls have some
thing to say about that" He said,
Certainly they have. Ask them
whether they would rather have a.
sergeant or lieutenant So. the
question was put to the girls and they
voted in favor Of US. l said that