for some time at a level crossing and watched the busy little train
puffing along, carrying towards Verdun stores, munitions and men.
This level crossing had been the scene of active fighting; on each
side were numerous graves, and the sentinels off duty were
passing from one to the other picking a dead leaf or drawing a
branch of trailing vine over the resting places of their comrades.

Above our heads circled "les guipes" the wasps of the French
Army. They had been aroused by the appearance of a Taube and
were preparing to sting had the Taube waited or made any further
attempt to proceed over the French lines. However, deciding that
discretion was the better part of valour, it turned and fled.

It is unwise, however, to stir up the "wasps of France"; they
followed it, and later in the day we heard that it had been brought
down near Verdun.

We were now in the centre of activity of the army defending
Verdun. On every hand we saw artillery parks, ammunition parks,
and regiments resting, whilst along the road a long line of camions
passed unceasingly. During the whole length of my stay on the
French Front I only saw one regiment marching. Everywhere the
men are conveyed in the camions, and are thus spared the fatigue
which would otherwise be caused by the intense heat and the
white dust. There are perhaps only two things that can in any way
upset the perfect indifference to difficulties of the French trooper:
he hates to walk, and he refuses to be deprived of his "pinard."
The men of the French Army have named their red wine "pinard,"
just as they call water "la flotte," always, however, being careful to
add that "la flotte" is excellent "for washing one's feet."

As we passed through the Headquarters of General Nivelle, he
sent down word to us not to wait to call on him then, but to proceed
at once to Verdun as later the passage would become more
difficult. He kindly sent down to us one of the officers of his staff to
act as escort. The officer sat by our chauffeur, warning him of the'
dangerous spots in the road which the Germans had the habit of
"watering" from time to time with "marmites," and ordering him to
put on extra speed. Our speed along the road into Verdun
averaged well over a mile a minute.

The "Movies" Under Fire

Within range of the German guns, probably not more than four or
five kilometres from Verdun, we came on a line of men waiting
their turn to go into the cinema. After all there