“A friend of Gaston’s is a distant cousin of one of the nurses. Gaston inquired after me, and apparently used that occasion to do a good deal of boasting. At any rate, some greatly embellished stories of my _sangfroid_ have been going the rounds here. Without having to lie, I could say that all this was invented, or at least highly exaggerated. The consequence was that I was looked upon, not only as a hero, but as a giant of modesty as well. It is very annoying. However, to be honest, I must confess that now and then this undeserved praise gives me a feeling of satisfaction; I have always known that I was weak-minded.” HE IS PROMOTED “Back to the trenches and made a Corporal. A small thing, eh? Just the same, it made me happy. I was touched by the friendly spirit of the fellows. Gaston shook my hand at least six times, muttering, ‘Ah, _mon vieux_, _mon vieux_, how I have missed you!’ This does one good. And I had better not get lost in the question as to how much of all this attachment I deserve.” [Illustration: _Drawn by Joseph Cummings Chase._ Sergeant Charles S. Hoover _32nd Division, 158th Field Artillery Brigade_ During the offensive action near Brabant-sur-Meuse, Sergeant Hoover was in charge of two trench mortars. Wounded by shrapnel and knocked down by the explosion of bombs, he fired the one mortar that was undamaged until it was destroyed.] Finally comes the touchstone of character. Jan R—— wrote: “In the early morning of the 13th the cannonading was resumed, and again we had hours of exhausting expectation. Toward noon we noticed that an unusual event was coming. The captain shouted something. I could not understand a word. Gaston understood: the wire entanglements in front of the first line of trenches had been shot to pieces. We had to hold ourselves ready. There was incessant telephoning. “‘They are coming!’ some one yelled. “I could not restrain myself any longer and looked over the edge of the trench. “They were coming indeed; I saw them. In broad, irregular rows they were running toward us. Straight toward me, it seemed. And behind them, there came others, and still others, evermore. The German guns were silent now. And then suddenly ours began to roar with redoubled vigor. “Holes, narrow clefts, and fissures were torn in the massive gray billows that came rolling toward us. “‘Not a single one will get through!’ I heard some one shout. “But behind the first wave came a second one, and a third one behind that. I saw them approach, losing in vigor, yet remaining strong. “We were ready. In that moment I felt no fear! Like the others, I was burning to fly out of the trenches. Suddenly a strange silence came, and then the call: ‘_Attaquez! Attaquez!_’ “We clambered up, jumped over the edge of the trench, and ran forward. In front, to the left, to the right, everywhere there were French soldiers, storming forward.