ance--they were all at the front fighting to
save their homes from the ruthless Hun.

At 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the fourth day after we had left
Brest, we arrived at Langres, which was our destination, so far as
train travel was concerned. It was a great relief to leave those
crowded compartments in that uncomfortable train. The distance from
Brest to Langres by the route we traveled probably does not exceed six
hundred miles, yet it took us four days and three nights to make the
distance. A first class American train would cover the same distance
in about sixteen hours. At times our train moved so slowly that a man
could get out and keep up with it by running along the side. There
were no conveniences on the train, such as American travelers are
accustomed to. For instance, there were no toilets, and the train
would stop every three or four hours at some small station where
latrines were provided for our use. No one knows how miserable we were
on this trip, and the only thing that kept the boys from complaining
was the fact that the country was new to us and strange sights and
scenes made us forget our discomfort. Still, we did not have things as
bad as some of the American boys, who were compelled to travel across
France in box cars.

We were all glad to stretch our legs at Langres, and after we were
given a little refreshing exercise, we were loaded on motor trucks and
taken to our barracks, located in a stone building formerly used as a
convent.

The city of Langres is beautifully situated. It is on a hill that
rises from a plateau. It is a city of great antiquity, dating from the
time of the Romans. There can be no doubt but that its original
location was selected because of its strategic position, as it is on
the summit of a ridge and commands the situation in every direction.
In mediaeval times it was a stronghold for the feudal lords and in
modern times it is still of importance as a fortress. The city is
surrounded by a defense wall, built hundreds of years ago, and around
the outside of the wall was a moat, wide and deep. In feudal days this
moat was part of the defense works and it was kept filled with water.
It was dry when we visited and has been so for many years, as a moat
would be but as slight obstructure in modern warfare. But it made the
city well nigh impregnable in the mediaeval days before gunpowder was
invented and when most fighting was of the hand to hand kind. We
entered the city thr