IF THEY’D LEVE ME BE—I’D MAKE OLD RIP VAN—LOOK LIKE A PIKER! AT THE END OF A’ _PERFECT_ DAY GAMBLING!? READ ’EM AND WEEP COME YOU SEVEN! BABY NEEDS SOME SHOES UNDER A CAMION IS A GOOD PLACE TO HIDE. BUT—— THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I’D GIVE MY RIGHT EYE TO “PARLEZ-VOUS” THIS LINGO. THIS IS ONE OF THEM TIMES. SUZZANNE VOUS ARE SOME BIEN KIDDO! SAISIR DEUX BOTTLES VIN BLANC— OUI MONSIEUR NOTE. ALL FRENCH GIRLS ARE NAMED SUZZANNE, AND ARE PRETTY. A LITTLE FRENCH, EVEN IF NOT O.K., IS BETTER THAN NONE AT ALL. IF ONE OF THEM BIG BRASS THINGS IS TWO CENTS AND ONE OF THEM SILVER THINGS IS TWENTY CENTS, I WONT GET FAR ON THIS. THE NEW ALUMINUM FIVE AND TEN CENTIMES COINS DONT MAKE MUCH OF A HIT WITH SOME OF THE BOYS. KIRK. DAY FRANCE ’18] From Barcy we moved to Hardivillers. This small town lies between Breteuil and Crèvecœur-le-Grand, not far from Amiens. In the latter place and beyond, we saw our first of the British. It was in and around Amiens that bombs were the thickest. The country was so open that a night convoi was always an invitation for a bomb. Between Moreuil and Hangest they took twelve shots at us without a hit. That same night, however, they got another section and wounded a couple of men and killed another. Our next stop was Bus, the town of no roofs and German dugouts, with the nearby woods that sported the German huts. Bus is between Montdidier and Roye. The former city is the worst shot up of any that I have seen. It lies on the top of a hill and is just blown to dust. Not a wall or a tree standing. One could live in Roye without a great deal of rebuilding, but there are only walls left. Ham wasn’t shot up, but burned. While at Bus my permission came through and I left the bunch not knowing where I would find them when I came back. [Illustration: GOOD NIGHT!! JUST LOOK WHAT THEM HUNS ARE DOING. YOU POOR FISH! THATS A REPRINT OF THE 1915 BATTLE FRONT! KIRK. DAY FRANCE ’18] Port-à-Binson was where I found them. No doubt you read how the Germans tried to get into Épernay on account of its being a centre for supplies. Port-à-Binson is not far from Épernay, lying on the bank of the river Marne. Here it was I took up the duties of clerk—something I’ll always remember. When we moved again it was to Jonchery, between Fismes and Rheims. While in the Field Service I had often gone through Fismes; you wouldn’t know it now, ruins is no name for it. From there we rolled on to Malmaison. Here we got the news that the armistice had been signed. Since leaving that town, we have stopped over night in a few other villages until we struck here. [Illustration: SOME COAT! SOME COAT!! YOU WOULD THINK I WAS TWINS THE WAY IT FITS!! YOU SHOULD TALK! TAKE A LOOK AT THE STRAIGHT JACKET I DREW! ?! WHY DONT YOU BIRDS CHANGE COATS? YOU SAID SOMETHING—WE NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT!! KH DAY 18]