except my
iron rations, and our orders are very stern that under no circumstances
must these be consumed except at the time designated, namely, when our
supply wagons are destroyed and cannot reach us, and the order is issued
from headquarters that we may use them. These rations are 16 ounces of
bully beef, two hardtack biscuits, some tea and sugar in small wax
envelopes. Each man must carry his own iron rations at all times and the
penalty for eating them without orders is 28 to 90 days, first field
punishment; therefore, I was taking a chance, but I hadn't the heart to
resist the pitiful wail of that kiddie, and I felt that the risk I took
was amply repaid by the cessation of her childish grief. The mother also
had had nothing to eat all day, and she partook of some of the
nourishment and was the better for it.

There was nothing more for them that we could do and they departed, the
poor creature with an expression in her eyes that plainly said, she
didn't know where on earth she was going, and cared less.

This was only an individual instance of the tens of thousands of blasted
and stricken homes and families, resulting from the rule or ruin policy
of the German "man of God."

Half an hour after they had departed a train of ammunition wagons came
galloping up, the driver telling us that in passing Hell's Corner they
were given an exceptionally heavy dose by Fritz. "His aim the nicht was
damn puir, however," said one of the Scotch drivers; "he never gave us a
scratch; but I noticed on the road a woman wi' a little bairn, a wee
thing, hardly higher than your knee, and as we were racing by them, a
shell exploded on the side of the road, right alongside o' them, blawin'
the puir things to their doom."

From the description furnished by the driver, I was convinced it was the
poor woman and child for whom I had taken the risk of punishment, and I
could not help thinking what a blessing it was that death had come to
them in the way it did, so soon after her inextinguishable sorrow.

Another evidence testamentary of the industry of the German agents came
to us that very night from the driver. After the wagons were loaded up
at the wagon lines, someone undid the locks of the wagons and on the way
to the guns the shells dropped out from time to time, scattering over
the cobble stones, causing them to lose more than half of their precious
loads.

"Aye," said the Scotch driver who had told us about the woman and her
child