The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1919-05-08

did not In any way attempt to ourtail
the prisoners remarks. This. at the
time, struck me ms depicting ID remark
able sense Of fairness, md later on.
during nv service On tho western
front, l found cut that the French
in all his dealings Is fair and
just.
prc,ty soon the prisoners faded out
of sight and we came alongside the
dock nj Bordeaux. ! was nll cagerness
and strained my eyes 80 ms not TO miss
the least thing. The dock was full OF
French cnvnlrymcn. hurrying to and
fro. Huge Turcos, black as the c
NJ shades, with white turbans on
their heads. were majestlcaily strid-
Ing about.
After we warped into the dock and
fast, our work was over. We Ind
nothing to do with the unloading OF
the horses. The French cavalrymen
came aboard with a bunch OF cavalry
halters hanging over their arms. IL
was a marvel TO see with what ease
and efficiency that ship was unload
Of. The condition Of the horses was
pitlful. They could hardly bend their
legs from stiffness. They would hob
bic down the gangplank and stand
trembling on the dock. In about a
minute or so they would stretch their
necks way up into the air and seem
~ be taking long breaths of the pure
air. Then they started to whinny.
They were calling backward and for
ward 10 each other. Even though I
did not understand horse Language, I
knew exactly what they were saying.
They were thanking the good Lord
for their dcliverance from That hell
shin, and were looking forward to
green pastures and n good roll In the
dirt. Pretty soon you could see them
bend their forelegs and lie down on
the dock; then try to roll over. II
was pitiful: some OF them did not
have the strength TO turn over and
they fcebly kicked. Pretty soon the
whole dock was a mass of rolling
the Frenchmen jumping
around, eestlculating and jabberlng.
After getting the horses up, they
were divided into classes according to
their height and weight. Then each
horse was led into n ring chalkcd out
the dock and the army inspectors
examined 1t. Very few were reject
ed. From this ring OF chalk they
were led into a portable stall and
branded. You could hear the sing.
song voice Of the brander shouting out
what sounded like "Battry Loo" As
he yelled this, a French private would
over, get the horse which had
been branded, and lead 1t away. I
got in conversation with an inter-
prefer and he informed me that the
average life Of these horses In the
French army was three days, so these
poor horses had only left that hell
ship to 90 into a worse hell of bursting
shells and cracking bullets.
!, after passing n rigid examination
ms to my nationality, and being issued
n cattleman's passport, inquired my
way to the prefecture of police. I
dcliverd TO him n sealed envelope
which I had received In New York.
Upon opening II. he was very gracious
10 me and I went into a rear room.
where the Interpreter put me through
n grllling examination. From there
| was taken 10 n hotel, and the next
morning in the company of a sergeant
and a private, got into q little match
box compartment on the funniest look.
Inc frpin .,sA .n,.. nh ...t. -.-.
ed to be about three feet wide: the
wheels Of the cars looked like huge
cogNhcclS IN an engine minus the
After humping, stopping, and
sometimes sliding backwards, in 20
hours we reached q little town. Sup.
plies were piled up as high ms houses.
Officers and enlisted men were hurrying
10 aud fro, and I could see long trains
or supply wagons and artillery llmbers
always moving In the same direction.
| was uShcred into the presence Of
n fr,nch officer, who, / later found out,
wnS a brlgadicr general Of the quar-
tciinnStcr corps. ! could hear a dis
tant booming, and upon inauiring
found out that II was the guns Of
France, striving to hold back the Ger.
man invaders. I trcmhled nll over
with excitement, and o feeling that I
cannot describe rushed we me. I was
listening to my first sound of the guns
on the western front.
Two days aftcrward I again reached
bordeaux, and shipped to New York
on the French liner Rochambeaux.
Upon arriving in New York I reporteS
10 the Frenchman who had sent mo
He was very courteous, and as
l reached out TO shake hands with him,
he placed both hands on my shoulders
and kissed me on the right and lief,
check. | was dumfounded. blushed all
over and after receiving the pay that
was due me, I left.
think ! could have borne another
trip across with horses, but that being
Kissed upon my return completely 20,
my goat.
went back to the routine OF my
once but everything had lost color and
NA -Ha -