Up to here there is nothing romantic in my story, but you will see how this animal recompensed me for my kindness. During the month of November, 1914, his Division was engaged in murderous fighting. He had a battalion chief, named Petit, known in his regiment for his lack of mental equilibrium. He always had ideas more or less strange and fanciful, and he always caused comment by his eccentricities and his _bizarreries_. I had ordered an operation to commence in the morning of the 15th, and Petit told all his men, before the attack, that he would give one dollar for every pair of German trousers they brought to him! Do not laugh, he had more extravagant ideas than that! * * * * * The attack was successful and our _poilus_ struck a hard blow; they took numerous prisoners and reaped a mountain of trousers! This sight was absolutely grotesque; the boches did not know what we wanted with them and this "kilty" disguise did not go well with them at all. Petit, himself, was literally jubilant, splitting his sides with laughter before the German column about to start for the rear trouser-less. Lieutenant de Marnac was furious, because he could not admit he carried on war in this manner and took it upon himself to go into the German lines, on a truce, and present his excuses to the general commanding the Division in front. He fixed a white handkerchief on the end of his cane, took a bugler with him and calmly started out toward the enemy trenches. All went well enough; the Germans bandaged his eyes and as he conveniently spoke the language, he asked the first officer he met to be conducted into the presence of the general of that Division. The latter lived in a little village ten miles back of the lines so de Marnac's journey was long enough. He did not arrive, until darkness had fallen, at the farm which served as headquarters of the boche general. The general was at dinner when they presented our young man to him. He received him courteously and spoke French to him, but with difficulty. "Sit down--what have you to say to me?" And turning toward the young girl who served him, he added, "Mademoiselle, will you place another cover for the lieutenant? Monsieur, I listen." "General, I am the interpreter for General Coutanceau, Governor of Verdun, and have come to present his excuses for an event that occurred to-day. "This morning, in course of the attack at Consenvoie Wood, a French battalion major ordered his soldiers to cut the suspenders of all German prisoners they might take and to bring him the trousers, in return for which they would receive a dollar. "Matters happened this way: our soldiers cut numerous suspenders, removing quite a few trousers from your infantrymen---- "The Governor General charges me to tell you he deplores this act as being unchivalrous and to present to you his excuses and his regards."