But I found him allright, he wanted only decent
treatment. Had he changed his mind and thought itsafer to escape alone?
How to get away was thetopic of conversation. Some
had been lingeringthere for six and eight months and no help had come.
The centre of the two platformswas a mud path. It
was well knownto his compatriots that he had a graft on some one in consequence
ofthese letters. It wasSaturday and there were no exercises in the afternoon, so the
time wasspent drinking. Some had been lingeringthere for six and eight months and no
help had come.
In the morning my shack companions trooped out and
washed at the pump. But what is going to happen at the front?
But he did not return in two days, nor in three
days, nor in fivedays. Hehad a sour face, and hadnt a good word to say for any one.
He was ordered before the Captain:Why did you refuse to obey the sergeant-majors
orders?
The only possible person to talk to in my room at
Lyons was a youngBulgarian, Alexander Stojanoff. Any animal, even a pig, has a smell
which can be endured,but man, when dirty, is beyond endurance.
It seemed that once wound up he had to go on
talking. The only things which wereleft me were the underclothes. He was a rough
fellow until he smelt money and then hewas lenient. A day or two later Isaw his name
on the money recipients list. Heavy munition trains rolled by incessantly on the
railway tracks nextto the camp.
They all admitted being hopelessly demoralizedin
this den of filth and crime. They were all ajolly lot and immediately insisted upon
treating to drinks. He showed it tothe doctor, but he would not give him
permission.
They all admitted being hopelessly demoralizedin
this den of filth and crime.
The regiment also boastedof an American nigger, but
he wasnt introduced to me.
Bouligny, the New Orleans man, was the first
American to enter theLegion.