I wish to thank many of my old friends of Section II, who have aided me in the writing of this book.
HENRY SHEAHAN
Contents
I. THE ROCHAMBEAU S'EN VA-T-EN GUERRE
A war-time voyage—The Rochambeau—Loading ammunition and food supplies—Personalities on board—The dyestuffs agent—The machine lathes man—The Swede from Minnesota who was on his way to the Foreign Legion—His subsequent history—The talk aboard—The French officer—His philosophy of war—Ernest Psichari—Arrival at Bordeaux—The Arabs at the docks—The convalescent soldiers— Across La Beauce—The French countryside in war-time.
II. AN UNKNOWN PARIS IN THE NIGHT AND RAIN.
Paris, rain, and darkness—The Gardens of the Tuileries—The dormitory—The hospital at night—Beginning of the Champagne offensive—The Gare de la Chapelle at two in the morning—The wounded—The Zouave stretcher-bearers—The Arabs in the abandoned school—Suburban Paris at dawn—The home of the deaconesses.
III. THE GREAT SWATHE OF THE LINES
Nancy—The porter's story—Getting to the front—What the phrase "the front" really means—The sense of the front—The shell zone—The zone of quiet—My quarters in the shelled house—The fire shells—Bombarded at night—Death of the soldier fireman.