The mirror., 1922-12-14

sive of what might be in store. If you
have ever been seasick, you can under
stand.
The Bay of Biscay is said to be the
toughest body of water in the world That
particular day Father Neptune must have
gotten out of the wrong side of his bed
for rough was no word for it. The boats
ends played seasaw, while the passengers
valiant nature to be able to mount the
several flights of steps to the mess on the
forward deck, even when turkey and al
the trimmings were on the bill of fare for
Christmas dinner. Down in the bowels of
the ship where G Co. was parked, there
was much moaning and groaning, and
when a solicitous friend would inquire of
some Yank hugging his bunk if he might
help him up stairs, there would be an
agonized expression and if strength per-
mitted, hob-nailed shoe in answer.
Up on deck the rails were dotted with
O. D. clad figures gazing earnestly at the
water; there would be a convulsive shud-
dering, then one would stagger to the door
leading downstairs, one hand on his tor
tured stomach, another clinging to the
rail. Yes, and some were down on all
fours.
Personally, wasn't effected-not at first,
tangled with the turkey, the cranberry
sauce, and the pumpkin pie, then enjoying
post-prandial cigar flched from the box
of the Y. M. c. A. representative, I
sauntered into the washroom to offer con-
dolence to buddies who were unwel. And
I remained too long, for my cigar and my
dinner soon parted from me, and joined
those along the rail.
But seasickness, in most cases, lasts only
short time. The next day we were try
ing to bum handouts from the COB cooks.
with very little luck. Blankets were spread
out, in out-of-the-way places, and the army
and navy engaged in competition; blue
clad gamboleers pleaded with the ivories
in the argot of the COB, while the wearers
of the o. D. plead as earnestly in the lingo
of the soldier. A chief petty officer hap
pened in, and attempted to feather his nest
with all the money in sight. AS chief
petty officer meant less than nothing to us,
he learned that such practices might go in
the navy, but not in the army.
Every evening there was a band con-
cert on deck, the artillery and navy band,
alternating. There was a canteen where
candy, cigarettes, and cookies might be
purchased, and the sailors off-duty would
gather to swap yarns of encounters with
submarines in return for tales of the days
in Franco.
New Years Day found everybody in
prime condition for the big dinner, and
the only casualties resulted from too much
turkey.
The trip to France, or rather to South
ampton, England, had taken only five days,
but the Pocohontas was comparatively
slow ship SO it was thirteen days since we
left Bordeaux until we sighted land early
On the morning of January 5th, 1919. We
landed at Newport News, Virginia, and
marched to Camp Stuart, to remain for five
days before starting west
Returning troops were quite a novelty
then, so naturally we received a great ova-
ton. Not so much in Newport News for
service men weren't so popular there. A
riot occurred in the town on New Years
Eve and the soldiers and sailors were a
bit rough with each other and with any
civilians who got in the way, so this ami
mostly was natural.
We went through the delouser again at
Camp Stuart to make sure that no one had
managed to keep their collection. Fol-
lowed five days of reminiscing, getting
home addresses of buddies, and formu-
lating plans for reunion the following
year.
On January 10th, we. boarded troop