Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-02
TELLS OF time WHEN HUN
TIDE EBBED AND FLOWED
Story of Last Days of War, When
British Avancc in Force
Began.
VILLAGERS PRAYER ANSWERED
Promise OF Khaki-Clad Men That
They Would Come Back Results
in One OF Strange Condolences of
War.
~ CAPTAIN II. Ii. 4. POLLARD,
Author or "rhe story of Yprrs."


Author or "rhe story of Yprrs."
FRANCE. Feb. In the village all
was confusion and turmoil. Some OF
the women were crying and shouting
in a confused knot round the harasscd
old cure. Az undecided group were
half-heartedly loading up TWO
whee.ed cart with goods. trying 10
prepare for flight in ten minutes. Others
stood grave and serious in the doors
In the center OF "a group were two
British cavalrymen, no; dust-co ycred
figures in the ,panopiy OF war. They
and feeding a few windfallen apples
to their tired horses. For both it was
IN interval for refreshnent-the first
Nobody in tho village talked Eng
:sh the cavalrymen had no French
from them. and the troopers smiled
and looked to the north. one tried TO
-'OohiansEpienty Ailemans." he
said very. very loudly in order TO
make sure tina, the foreigners under
scowied fsrociousiy and made a pan
older man. watched with approval. and
at the crucial moment. held GU, hs
mug for more beer. II was instantly
SERGEANT SERIOUS
o., OVER THE siTuATIoN
Another horse clattercd down the
paved road. then a section with an OF
,icer appeared at the bend. The first
i y,3,,y troopers greeted their frisnds
ordered water for the horses. then beer
Tor , the men H. seemed puzzled and
seant with him looked grave as he
teit the horses legs and examined their
BACKS and the lit OF the saddlery.
rs It retreat" they asked ,!nor-
The boy knew In his hear, n w,s 80.
:reai. knew that ne was ;he last OF
,s ne, rssa ar, S,,l patrols ,hrown out on
him by motor cyclist from a town
forty miles 70 his rear. He chose hi.
school French.
Nous, re,ournons-wc shall come
Saek an right he said. then the told
mayor; "Recuier pour mieux saute ""
he said. nodding sagely. and he prayed
IN his heart that IL might be SO. and
thht this endless retreat upon Paris
might he halted and checked upon some
nearby line.
"TIIEi WILL CONE: BACK
VILLAGERS RE-ECHOED
They will come back" said the VIII
iasess looking at one another. with
doubt haunted frightened faces. and
The mothers called their children with
In doors. "
An hour later the Uh.ans clat,cred
They will return" said IN. s,o,,-
hearted Villagers in the spr!n. OF 1915.
TWO years later the obstinate remain
der or them said the same thing. Even
In 1918 the old women VINO were lefr
showed papers that had dropped from
propaganda balloons and were secretly
comforttd.
sales boches viii CO. but they said
IT with hope and devout aspiration az
thing that would Mapped some day
rather than as an imminent event,
TIDE BEGINS TO Enn
First came the turmoil OF retreat
exhausted cursins soldiery, uncared for
unbandaEed and often unfed. Rumor
! ran from mouth TO mouth. balloons
came the noise OF the guns
In thoss dnys they prayed in the !ii,le
church. Tor The noise Of the cannon
n!led them with hope Well as with
4 fear For TWO days the noise seemed
as distant as before, then on the third
day II crept nearer.
The Germans bade all folk keen TO
their houses, but a child crept out and
up 10 neighboring hill by night and
brought back a tale OF towns mat burnt
4 bare ten miles away.
Two days later machine guns were
in action mile away. The Germans
had packed up what they could. offered
few last insults and outrages, and
spasmodio burst OF firing and the roar
OF airplanes reached the villagers in
their cellars. There was Il little shoot
\ ing. few crashes Of machne-gun fire
then silence.
Some one hammered on the door OF
| the big house OF the cure and 4 voice
A shouted. Then NJ. &c Cure got up from
| his knees and assembled the cellar stairs
4 and opened his door to see "A group Of
horsemen in the village stree; ana an
A officer in khaki smiling at him
4 You said you would come back, said
II the Cure half an hour later when the
crying was over and all the people had
" given thanks.
The officer looked puzzled.
"Oh, yes" he said; then a light Of
II recognition Sprang up in his eyes:
Good Lord--it.s the same village: he
1, c-ied.-Copyrisht 1919.
III