ue of heroes.

"Columbia loves to name
Whose deeds shall live in story
And everlasting fame."

Leaning nonchalantly on the rail of their mighty ship, the Jackies, all
perfect specimens of young American manhood, quietly watched us march
aboard. We were as novel to them as they to us, yet what confidence they
inspired! Curiously yet kindly they looked us over, approvingly observed
the long orderly lines of our glittering rifles stretching away through
the dim sheds, and seemed to say, "You are worth while fellows!--we'll
take you over all right, all right, for our little old Uncle Sam!"

To quarter, feed, and sleep 32,000 men; to carry them across 3,000 miles
of angry pathless sea, where lurked the deadly mine, and prowled, as
panthers of the deep, the submarines--this was the task assigned to the
Leviathan and our convoy ships, the Northern Pacific and the Northland.
How well our superb Navy "carried on" not only for us but for seventy
times our number, let the most brilliant pages of seafaring annals
tell!

With perfect co-ordination between our Army and the ship authorities,
all troops, equipment, and provisions were aboard within ten hours; and
promptly at three o'clock the following afternoon the Leviathan swung
out from her pier on the North River and headed seaward.

In serried ranks, silent and still as at attention, the troops lined
both sides of the upper and lower decks. As at the funeral of Sir John
Moore "not a drum was heard," for who can cheer at the thought of dear
ones left behind, with the kiss of fond farewell still lingering in
loving memory on the lip, with the soldier's requiem echoing through
lonely hearts:

"Farewell, mother, you may never
Press me to your heart again;
When upon the field of battle
I'll be numbered with the slain."

As we passed down the city front, every building, on both the New York
and Jersey sides, burst into color; handkerchiefs signaled a last
farewell; and out of the mists of our tears seemed to rise a mighty
rainbow, spanning ship and receding shores, and spelling in letters of
heavenly hue, "God be with you till we meet again."

With destroyers ahead, astern, and on the beam, two hydroplanes circling
and paralleling above, and a solitary observing balloon hovering over
the Long Island shore, our ship and convoys stood boldly out to sea.

We were now in the war zone, easily within range of hidden mines and
torpedoes, and, lik