"They all followed me like a pack of hounds," the priest went on, "and I prayed to God for aid. "The first one we saw, on entering the church, was a Bavarian stretched out in a pool of blood. Rolling his eyes up at me, he muttered: "'A drink--I'm thirsty----' "'_Nom de Dieu_, father, so you let your wounded die of thirst--that's a rotten trick! Here! drink this--you!' the _poilu_ said, handing his canteen to the boche----" HE! NETTANCOURT. _August_, 1916. "Since you are fighting near him--what is _he_?" "PERSEVERING; "ENERGETIC; "TRIUMPHANT; "ARDENT; "INTREPID; "_Nil-melior!_"[27] THE OLD TERRITORIAL ON SENTRY DUTY AT THE MONTMIRAL RAILROAD CROSSING. _September_, 1916. I left Paris during the night in an automobile and am returning to General Quarters. I have fallen asleep on the way---- A brusque stop! I open my eyes---- An old territorial flashes a lantern in my face--a railroad track crossed the road---- "What is the name of this place, _mon petit_?" "This place, captain, is--the railroad crossing!" THE EVE OF THE RECAPTURE OF FORT DOUAUMONT. _October_ 23, 1916. Major Armengaud and I left Nettancourt this morning by airplane to assist in the operations about to be unloosed before Verdun. The weather is uncertain and some large running clouds are above us. Before landing at Lemme, it had been decided that we would make a short incursion over the lines---- Here is the Meuse! The two banks of the battlefield appear to me yellowish gray with the Douaumont Hill tinted red. The cannonade is raging--I see the vivid flashes of shells leaving the guns and I hear loud detonations above the noise of the motor---- [Illustration: Entrance of Fort Douaumont in July 1915 and April 1917.] The weather is very nasty! Always it is the same thing. It will surely rain to-night! We flew above St. Michel Hill at the moment when our 400 shell fell on Douaumont and on Vaux, throwing up columns of earth and smoke. From Fort Douaumont rise big voluted shafts of smoke. Fortunately our artillerymen had found the joint in the armor---- Not a boche _avion_ in the air. What matter! This spectacle is so thrilling, that, for the moment, my machine-gun gets very little use---- The _poilus_ themselves must be there in the trenches, waiting the hour of attack. I cannot see them, but my heart and thoughts go out to them. I had the impression from that very moment the recapture of Fort Douaumont was certain---- We landed in about an hour without a single incident---- DOUAUMONT. _October_ 24, 1916. It is maddening. It is raining. At the aviation field where I am, everybody is effervescent. The first results of the day are magnificent, the _poilus_ advanced along the entire line! Unluckily it is necessary to renounce any thought of flying and the attendant consternation is general. Some "cuckoos" essayed to go up in the driving rain. They kept close to earth--they flew blindly and were shot at a few times----