October 12, 1916 
LAND & WATER 
17 
got any news he must manufacture and produce some 
kind of story. It is really necessary fop him to be not 
only a cook, byt also an author. 
There is a tale going the round of the French Army 
how one section of the cooks although unarmed managed 
to take some twenty German prisoners. As they went 
on their way, they saw the Germans in the distance ap- 
proaching them ; the Head Cook quietly drew the field 
kitchens behind a clump of trees and bushes, placed his 
men in a row, each with a cooking utensil in his hand, 
and as the Germans passed shouted to them to sur- 
render. The sun fell on the handles of the saucepans, 
causing them to shine like bayonets, and the Germans 
taken unawares laid down their arms. The Head Cook 
then stepped out and one by one took the rifles from the 
enemy and handed them to his men. It was only when 
he had disarmed the Germans and armed his comrades 
that he gave the signal for them to step out, and the 
Germans saw that they had been taken by a ruse. One 
can imagine the joy of the French troops in the next village 
when, with a soup ladle in his hand, his assistants armed 
with German rifles, followed by the soup kitchen and 
twenty prisoners — he marched in to report. 
An Instance of Quick Wit 
It is curious how near humour is to tragedy in war, how 
quick wit may serve a useful purpose, and even save 
life. A young French medical student told me that 
he owed his life to the quick wit of the women of a village 
and the sense of humour of a Saxon officer. Whilst 
passing from one hospital to another he was captured 
by a small German patrol, and in spite of his papers 
proving that he was attached to the Red Cross Service, 
he was tried as a spy and condemned to be shot. At the 
opening of his trial the women had been interested spec- 
tators, towards the end all of them had vanished. He 
was placed against a barn door, the tiring squad lined up, 
when from behind the hedge bordering a wood, the 
women began to bombard the soldiers with eggs. The 
aim was excellent, not one man escaped ; the German 
officer laughed at the plight of his men and, in the brief 
respite accorded, the young man dashed towards the 
hedge and vanished in the undergrowth. The Germans 
fired a few shots but there was no organised attempt to 
follow him, probably because their own position was not 
too secure. He was l«th to leave the women to face 
the music but they insisted that it was pour la pairie 
and that they were quite capable of taking care of them- 
selves. Later he again visited the village and the women 
told him that beyond obliging them to clean the soldiers' 
clothes thoroughly, the German officer had inflicted no 
other punishment upon them. 
A certain number of inhabitants are still living in the 
village of Revigny. You see everywhere placards an- 
nouncing " Caves pour 25," " Caves pour 100 " and 
each person knows to which cellar he is to go if a Taube 
should start bombing the village. I saw one cellar marked 
" 120 persons, specially safe, reserved for the children." 
Children arc one of the most valuable assets of France, 
and a good old Territorial " Pe-Pere " (Daddy) as they 
are nicknamed, told me that it was his special but diffi- 
cult duty to muster the children directly a Taube was 
signalled and chase them down into the, cellar. Mopping 
his brow he assured me that it was not easy to catch the 
little beggars, who hid in the ruins, behind the army 
wagons, anywhere to escape the " parental " eye. It 
is needless to add they consider it a grave infringement 
of their personal liberty. 
Passing the railway station we stopped to make some 
enquiries, and promptly ascertained all we wished to know 
from the Chef de Gare. In the days of peace there is in 
France no one more officious than the station master of a 
small but prosperous village. Now he is the meekest 
of men. Braided cap in hand he goes along the train 
from carriage door to carriage door humbly requesting 
newspapers for the wounded in the local hospitals : 
"Nous avons 125 blesses id, cela les jait tant de plaisir 
d' avoir des nouvdles." 
In addition to levying a toll on printed matter, he casts 
a covetous and meaning glance on any fruit or chocolate 
that may be visible. Before the train is out of the sta- 
tion, you can see the once busy, and in his own opinion, 
all-important railway official, vanishing down the road 
to carry his spoils to his suffering comrades. Railway 
travelling is indeed expensive in France. No matter 
what time of day or night, wet or fine, the trains are met 
at each station by devoted women who extract contribu- 
tions for the Red Cross Funds from the pockets of willing 
givers. It is only fair to state, however, that in most 
instances the station master gets there first. 
Not a Blade of Green 
From the time we left Revigny until we had passed into 
the Champagne country, upon the return journey from 
Verdun, we no longer saw a green tree or a blade of green 
grass ; we were now indeed upon the " White Road 
which leads unto Verdun." Owing to an exceptionally 
trying and dry suriimer the roads are thick with white 
dust, l^he continual passing of the camions, the splendid 
transport wagons of the French Army, carrying either 
food, munitions, or troops, has stirred up the dust arid 
coated the fields, trees and hedges with a thick layer of 
white. It is almost as painful to the eyes as the snow- 
fields of the Alps. 
I saw one horse that looked exactly like a plaster 
•statuette. His master had scrubbed him down, but 
before he dried the white dust had settled on him every- 
where. Naturally " humans " do not escape. By the 
time our party reached the Headquarters of General 
Petain we had joined the White Brigade. I excused myself 
to the General, who smilingly replied : " Why complain. 
Mademoiselle, you are charming, your hair is powdered 
like a Marquise." The contrast with what had been a 
black fur cap on what was now perfectly white hair 
justified his compliment. 
I have never been renowned in my life for fear of any 
individual, but I must admit that I passed into the 
presence of General Petain with a great deal of respect 
amounting almost to awe. The defence of Verdun 
through the bitter months of February and March by 
General Petain, a defence which is now under the imme- 
diate control of his able lieutenants General Nivelle and 
(General Dubois, has earned the respect and admiration 
of the whole world. It is impossible not to feel the 
deepest admiration for these men who have earned such 
undying glory, not only for themselves, but for their 
Motherland. 
No one could have been more gracious and kind than 
General Petain and in his presence one realised the 
strength and power of France. Throughout all the French 
Headquarters one is impressed by the perfect calm ; no 
excitement ; everything perfectly organised. 
General Petain asked me at once to tell him what I 
desired. I asked his permission to go to Rheims. He 
at once took up a paper which permitted me to enter the 
war zone and endorsed it with the request to General 
Debeney in Rheims to allow iiie to penetrate with my 
companions into the city. He then turned to me again 
and asked me, with a knowing smile, if that was all I 
required — for his Headquarters were hardly on the 
direct road to Rheims ! I hesitated to express my real 
wish, when my good counsellor and friend, with whom 
I was making the journey, the Commandant Jean de 
Pulligny, answered for me : " I feel sure it would be a 
great happiness and honour if you would allow us, 
General, to go to Verdun." Generah Petain appeared 
slightly surprised, and turning to me asked : "Do you 
thoroughly realise the danger ? You have crossed the 
Atlantic and faced submarines, but you will risk more in 
five minutes in Verdun than in crossing the Atlantic a 
thousand times." However, seeing that I was really 
anxious to go, and that it might be of great service to me 
in my future work to have seen personally the defence 
of Verdun, he added smilingly : " Well then, you can 
go if you wish at your own risk and peril." He then 
telephoned to General Nivelle the necessary permission 
for us to enter Verdun. 
I doubt whether General Petain realises the respect in 
which he is held in all the civilised countries of the world. 
Probably he does not yet understand that people would 
come thousands of miles to have five minutes' audience 
with him, for he enquired if we were in any hurry to 
contin,ue our journey, and added with charming simplicity 
— " Because if not, and you do not mind waiting an hour, 
I shall be glad if you will lunch with me." 
{To be continued) 
