ds who it was afterwards found
were fleeing in the opposite direction, after having burned another
bridge on the Emtsa further to the south to prevent the Americans from
pursuing them.

An interesting story was often repeated about this funny episode which
was due to the credence given by the British officer to the report of
the highly imaginative Russian patrol.

An English corporal on one of the outposts of Seletskoe was not informed
by Captain Scott of the retreat during the night. Next morning he went
forward and discovered that the Reds had burned their bridge. But when
he went to report that fact he found the village of Seletskoe evacuated
by his own forces, natives also having fled with everything of value
from the samovar to the cow. A few hours later the old corporal appeared
on the other bridgeless bank of the Emtsa across from the "K" men who
were digging in and said in a puzzled way, "I saiy, old chap, wots the
bloody gaime?"

Of course as soon as an improvised pontoon could be rigged up "K"
Company and the rest of the happily informed force were in pursuit again
of the Reds. The bridge was constructed by a detachment of the 310th
American Engineers, who had come up with Col. Henderson, of the famous
"Black Watch," the new commander.

The French machine gunners by this time were badly needed on the
railroad force. In their place came a company of the Russian Officers'
Training Corps.

On September 23rd Seletskoe was again occupied and the Yanks began
improving its defenses, taking much satisfaction in the arrival from
Archangel of Lieut. Ballard's American machine gun platoon. Within two
days also their ranks were greatly strengthened by the arrival of Lieut.
Chappel from Issaka Gorka with the other two platoons of "K" company
closely followed by Captain Cherry with "L" Company from the Railroad
force.

General Finlayson, whose job it was to take Plesetskaya, now sought to
shove the Kodish force ahead rapidly so as to trap the Reds on the
railroad between the two forces. Accordingly the next morning, September
26th, "K" Company and two platoons of "L" and the machine gun section
moved south toward Kodish to achieve the mission that had been assigned
to Col. Hazelden. The Bolshevik was found the next morning strongly
entrenched on the other side of the river Emtsa near the burned bridge
and after severe losses suffered in the gaining of a foothold on the
north side of the river by crossing on a raft,