led appearance told plainly that they had been
hastily awakened and had hurried thence without thinking of their
_toilette_.

"What is it?" I asked of the _garde-barriere_.

"Wounded!"

"Wounded?"

"Yes--the first. Not badly wounded and they are able to travel, but
unable to hold a gun. And they were all so thirsty!"

Poor fellows, thought I, already out of the ranks and the first week is
not yet passed.

More persuaded than ever of the utility of my mission, I did not stop
longer but pushed on towards Soissons. Half a mile further up the road,
an elderly man carrying a package, hailed the motor. We slowed down,
and hat in hand he approached.

"I beg pardon for the liberty I'm taking,"' he said, "but might I ask
where you're bound?"

"Soissons."

"You would be rendering a great service to the municipality if you would
allow me to ride with you in the empty seat. You see, the youngsters
who are left to reap the crops have broken the only machine in the
community, and we can't go on harvesting until it is repaired or
replaced. There are no mechanics left, and moreover, no horses that
could take us to Soissons to find one, so I've offered to go on
foot--but that means at least two full days lost before we can continue
our work."

"Get in at once," I said, and we rolled off.

It was not long before I had drawn his history from this village
alderman, an Alsatian by birth, and his tales of the war of 1870 helped
to wile away the time we were obliged to spend idling along the roadside
while our chauffeur repaired our first puncture. The emergency wheel
clapped on, we were soon en route again. My companion duly uncovered as
we passed the monument to the soldiers of the Franco-Prussian War,
almost hidden in a lovely chestnut grove, in the heart of the forest of
Hartennes.

On the outskirts of Soissons we came upon a squadron of the Ninth
Territorial Regiment, resting after the morning exercises. These
soldiers much resembled the "bushy-bearded" creatures whom I had seen
guarding the Eastern Railway, save that they were even more picturesque,
for most of them wore straw sombreros. As we passed the captain on his
horse, my companion lifted his hat and the officer replied with a
salute.

"A friend of yours?" I ventured.

"No. Never saw him before."

"But you bowed, I thought."

"Certainly. He's an officer on duty in time of war, and all civilians
owe him that courtesy."

I liked that and fancied