The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-10-21

y
round. you are of your feet and down
In hole. and can struggle out as best
you can.
We buried Jim and De Lissac with
four hundred and thirty-one others Of
the French Guard and our own light
infantry In a single trench. All, II
you could sow brave man as you sow
a seed, there should be fine crop Of
heroes coming up there some dayl
Then we left the bloody battlefield be-
hind us forever, and with our brigade
we marched on over the French bor-
der on our way to Paris.
/ had always been brought up dur
ing all these years to look upon the
French as very evil folk, and as we
only heard of them in connection with
fightings and slaughterings by land
and by sea. 1t was natural enough to
think that they were vicious by ma
ture and i'll to meet with. But then,
after all. they had only heard of us
in just the same fashion, and so. no
doubt. they had just the same idea
Of us. But when we came to go
through their country and to see their
bonny little steadings, and the douce.
quiet folk at work In the fields. and
the women knitting by the roadside.
and the old granny with a big white
smutch smacking the baby to teach 1t
manners. 1t was all so homelike that
! could not think why It was that we
had been fearing and hating these good
people for so long. But suppose that,
tn, %
was over them that we hated. and now
that he was gone, and his great shadow
was cleared from the land, all was
brightness once more.
We logged along happily enough
through the loveliest country that ever
l set my eyes on. until we came to
the great city, where we thought that
maybe there would be battle. for
there are so many folk in 1t that If
only one In twenty comes out 1t would
make a fine army. But by that time
they had seen that 1t was a pity to
spoil the whole country just for the
sake of one man. and so they had told
him that he must shift for himself IN
the future. The next we heard was
that he had surrendered to the British,
and that the gates of Paris were open
to us. which was very good news to
me. for ] could get along very well
just now on the one battle that ! had
had.
But there were plenty Of folk in
Paris now who loved Boney, and that
was natural when you think of the
glory that he had brought them. and
how he had never asked his army to
go where he would not go himself
They had stern enough faces. for us,
can tell you, when we marched in. and
we of Adams brigade were the very
first who set foot In the city. We
passed over a bridge which they call
Neuilly. which is easier to write than
to say. and then through fine park,
the Bois de Boulogne, and so into
the Champs d'Elysees. There we
bivouacked, and pretty soon the streets
were SO full of Prussians and Eng
lish that 1t became more like a camp
than city.
The very first time that could get
away went with Rob Stewart, of my
company-for we were only allowed to
go about In couples-to the Rue
Miromesnil. Rob waited in the hall.
and l was shown upstairs, and as
put my foot over the mat there was
Cousin Edie, just the same as ever.
staring at me with those wild eyes of
hers. For moment she did not rec
ognize me. but when she did she just
took three steps forward and sprang
at me with her two arms round my
neck
"Oh, my dear old Jack !" she cried.
''how fine you look in red coat !"
Yes. am a soldier now. Edie," said
l. very stiffiy. for as looked at her
pretty face l seemed to see behind 1t
that other face which had looked up
to the morning sky on the Belgian
battle field.
Fancy that !" she cried. what are
you then. Jock? A general? cap
tain?'
mo. l am a private"
what Not one of the common
people who carry guns?"
YES, carry a gum"
"Oh. that Is not nearly so interest
ing" said she, and she went back to
the sofa from which she had risen. II
was wonderful room, all silk and
velvet and shiny things, and felt in
clined to go back to give my boots
another rub. AS Edie sat down again
saw that she was all in black. and
SO knew that she had heard of De
Lissac's death.
II am glad to see that you know ALL"
said l. for l am clumsy hand at
breaking things He said that you
were to keep whatever was In the
boxes, and that Antoine had the keys"
'Thank you. Jock. thank you." said
she. "It was like your kindness to