on! You're
not to go up unless I am along." And more of the same stuff. Only
after I had given my word to do as he asked, would he let me alone.

Wednesday evening we had a fine surprise: two of our "missing"
returned. They had been forced to land behind the enemy's line because
their motor had stopped. They were hardly down when the "Pisangs"
(French peasants) came running toward them from every direction. They
managed to get into a nearby woods by beating a hasty retreat. Behind
them they heard the yelling of the men and women. The woods was
surrounded, and they had to hide till night fell. Then they escaped
into the Argonne Forest, under cover of darkness although fired on a
number of times. Here they spent five days, avoiding French troops.
As they had only berries and roots to eat, and could only travel at
night, they were almost ready to surrender. But on the morning of the
seventh day they heard someone say, in German, "Get on the job, you
fool." Those were sweet words to them, for it was a scouting party of
German Dragoons. Thus, they got back to us.

M., SEPTEMBER 10, 1914

Yesterday I went along to the light artillery positions, and from
there had a good view of the battlefield. There really was nothing
to see. There were no large bodies of soldiers, only here and there
a rider or a civilian. The only thing you could see was the smoke
from bursting shells and the burning villages all about. But if there
was nothing to see, there certainly was plenty to hear--the dull
noise of the light artillery, the sharp crash of the field pieces
and the crackling of small arms. On the way we passed an encampment
of reserves. It was a scene exactly like one during the annual
manoeuvers; some were cooking, some strolling about, but most of
them loafed around on their backs, not paying any attention to the
battle at all.

At 5:30 we went up. Now I had a chance to see from the air the same
scene I had just beheld from the ground. There was still heavy firing;
as far as the eye could see villages were burning. At 7:30 we were
down again.

B., SEPTEMBER 16, 1914

Last night three of us tried to take some observations, but all had to
come back, as the clouds were too heavy. This morning it was my turn
to go up, but it was raining. We have to have the fires going to keep
our quarters warm. Next to me a log-fire is burning merrily. My back
is baked to a crisp. When my one