"'We have been in front of you for over a year, and it is not against our comrades, the French, that we are fighting, but against our enemy, the English. Let us join forces against our common enemy. We are not starving, as you may well see from the little present we send you herewith.' "Here was something that set me thinking pretty hard. I had escaped death or capture by a miracle so far as I could see, and all in order that I might enjoy a hearty meal at the expense of the Germans. "I set the basket down in the trench, and fell to with a will; and I give you my word, Casey, of all the good things I have eaten, I never enjoyed anything more than I did that Dutch treat--especially the frankfurters. "They took me back to the States immediately--hot dogs, the brightness of the sea, the yawping of barkers, crowds passing, the noise of thousands of shuffling feet--not the sort of shuffling we hear now, Casey, when a bugle call or the heavy sound of guns seems the chief attraction. It was a great shame I couldn't save you one. "The meaning of all this was a puzzle to me until I found out that our boys had left a bundle of American and English newspapers in the spot where I had found the basket, with the paragraphs plainly marked in which it was said the Germans were starving. And the basket was the Germans' reply. "Now you know how I came to get my hot dogs." THE DOGS OF WAR ON THE BATTLEGROUNDS _The "Four-Footed Soldiers" of France_ The "friend of man" has always served his master faithfully and well in various humble capacities, but the Great War has seen his sphere of usefulness enlarged to an almost incredible extent. Our Gallant French allies have mobilized thousands of dogs for war service, and as scouts, sentries, messengers, ambulance workers, and beasts of burden these wonderfully-trained animals have rendered most valuable assistance to the armies in the field. Here is a soldier's story in the _Wide World Magazine_. I--TALES OF THE DOGS My friend, who had just come home on leave from the trenches, placed on the table in front of me a suspicious-looking parcel which left no manner of doubt that, for its size, it was extremely heavy. "I'm going to leave this with you for a day or two, if you don't mind," he said. "I can't carry it about with me." "What is it--bombs?" I asked, laughing, and my friend, without a smile, answered:-- "Yes, two bombs--for my dog."