Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1919-01-03
Confined From Page g.

The prisoners remarks This. at the
time. struck me as depicting Il remark
able sense OF fairness. and later on.
during my service on the western
front. | found out that the Eranch-
man In all his dealings Is fair and
Just.
Pretty soon the prisoners faded out
or sight and we came alongside the
dock ut Bordeaux. I was all carerncsS
ana strained my eyes so as not to miss
I'll" least thing. The dock was full OF
French cavalrymcn. hurryiny to and
fro. Huge TurcoS. black aS the ace
Of spades. with white tnrbanS on
their heads. were majes.ically strid-
Ing about.
After we warped into the dock and
made fast. our work was over. We had
nothing to do with the unloading of
the horses. The French cavalrymcn
came aboard with q bunch of cavalry
matters hanging over their arms. 1t
was Il marvel to see with what ease
and efficiency that ship was unload
ed. The condition of the horses was
p;tiful. They could hardly bend their
legs from stiffness. They woGld hob
BILE down the gangplank and stand
trembling on the dock. In about n
minute or SO they would stretch their
necks way up into the air and seem
to he taking long breathS Of the pure
air. Then they started to whinny.
They were calling backward and for
ward to each other. Even though l
did not understand horse language. I
knew exactly what they were saying.
They were thanking the good Lord
for their delivcrance from that hell
ship. and were looking forward to
green pastures and II good roll in the
hrt. Pretty soon YOU could seq them
bend :hcir f"relcgS and lie down on
the dock: then try to roll over. II
was pitiful: som" of them did not
have the strength to turn over and
they fcrbly kicked. Pretty soon the
whole dock was mass of rolling
horses. the Frenchmen jumping
around. gcsticulating and jabberng.
After getting thu horses up, they
were divided into classes according to
their height and weight. Then each
horse was led into ring chalkcd out
on the dock and the army inspectors
examined II. Very few were reject
ed. From this ring Of chalk they
were led into IL portable stall and
branded. You could hear the sing
song voice of the brnndcr shouting out
what sounded like "Eattry Loo" AS
he yelled this, Il French private would
come over, get the horse which had
been branded. and lead 1t away.
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. 50 these
poor horses had only left that hell
| snip to go into a worse he'll OF bursting
| shells and cracking bullets.
I. after passing 81 rigid examination
MS to my nationality. and being issued
cattlrman'S passport. inquired my
way to the prefecture OF police. I
delivered to him II sealed envelope
which I had received in New York.
Upon opening 1t. he was very gracious
! to me and I went into rear room,
where the interpreter put me through
grilling examination. From there
| l was taken to hotel. and the next
morning In the company Of II sergeant
and private. got into q little match
box compartment on tho funniest look
ing train I ever saw. The track seem
ed to be about three feet wide: the
| wheels of the cars looked like fuye
c0gwhecls on nm engine minus the
, cogs. After humping. stopping and
sometimes sliding backwards, In PC
hours we reached q little town S,:,.
! plies were piled up as high HS houses
Officers and enlisted men were iIurrying
To and fro, and could see long trains
or supply wagons and artillery limberS
always moving In the same direction.
L was ushercd into the presence of
q french officer. who, later found out,
was brigadier general Of the quar-
teImhstcr corps. could hear "a dis
! tant booming, and upon inquring
, found out that II was the guns of
| France. striving to hold back the Ger
man Invaders. I trcmbled all over
with excitement, and Il feeling that
cannot describe rushed over me. I was
! listening to my first sound of the guns
! OIL the western front
Two days nftcrward again reached
Bordeaux, and shipped TO New York
/ on the French liner ltOchaInhru,ix.
! Upon arriving in New York | reported
! to the FrcnclIman who had sent me
over. He was very courteous. and as
. reached out To shake hands With him.
he placed boiiI hands on my shoulders
anh kissed me on the right and left
check. | was dumfoundrd. blushed all
over, and after receiving the pay that
, was due me, I loft.
/ think | c"nld have borne another
trip across with horses. but that being
kissed upon my return completely got
my goat.