until it was literally shot from under his feet. "The friend
of the cathedral," is also an experienced aviator and when business is
dull in the howitzer line around Rheims, kills time by aerial
reconnoitring. "Be sure and send me a copy of your paper," he laughed,
when I beat a hasty strategic retreat to the rear to keep the Wilsonian
neutrality from being violated, for after lunch French shells have a
habit of raining alike on the just and the unjust.

The strategic retreat led through a village where in a farmyard was seen
one of the most curious freaks of the war. A French shell had exploded
here, and the terrific air pressure had lifted a farm wagon bodily and
deposited it on the roof of the stable, where it still perches.

Half a mile beyond was something even more curious--a subterranean
village built in the woods by German pioneers, and consisting of many
small block houses of fir logs, sunk three-quarters of the way into the
ground, the rest covered over with mounds of dirt and laid with sod. The
idea, it was explained, was to have a cozy and safe place of retreat
when the French batteries, as occasionally happened, took the village
ahead under fire.

My retreat ended at Chateau Mumm, well out of the firing zone, where
Gen. Count von Waldersee did the honors in the unavoidable absence of
the owner, said to be related to a well-known brand of champagne. On
inquiry, I learned that the champagne cellars of Chateau Mumm were quite
empty, but the retreating French were said to have caused the vacuum,
not the Germans. Chateau Mumm's absentee owner will be glad to learn
that his property is being well cared for, pending his return. I was
interested to note quite recent issues of The London Times, Daily Mail,
and London Daily Telegraph on the drawing room table.

"It's very interesting, you know, to read what our enemies are saying
about us," a staff officer explained.

Two other items of miscellaneous interest were picked up. From a well
informed source I learned that at one stage of the game, the English
"Long Toms" were posted to good advantage back of Rheims out of range of
the German heavy artillery. Although their lyddite shells were alleged
to have been comparatively harmless and did little damage, they were
nevertheless silenced on general principles and by a very simple
expedient. Every time the "Long Toms" were fired, a few answering shells
were sent their way and, of course, falling short, dropped into th