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existence--and in a few moments' time I had decided to turn the place into a hospital. But how and to whom should I offer it? I stopped at the _Gendarmerie_, where our friends were able to give me information. "The nearest sanitary formation was Soissons--the Red Cross Society. The president would probably be able to help me--" So I thanked the _gendarme_ and left there, having decided to drive thence on the morrow. Soissons is but twenty miles as a bird flies, but almost double that by the winding roadway, and I was calculating what time I should start and where I would rest the span, as I entered the yard. "Anything new, George?" I said, as he took the bridle. "Nothing, Madame, save that we have received orders that all the horses must be presented at Chateau Thierry for the revision to-morrow before ten." "All the horses?" "Yes, Madame, with full harnessing, halters and the farm carts." That was a surprise! Suppose they are all taken, thought I, I shall be almost a prisoner. And my trip to Soissons? "Don't unharness!" I called, as George drove towards the stable. "I'm going back to Charly." In our little township I managed to buy a lady's bicycle. "It may come in handy," I thought. It was the last machine that was left. From the shop I went to the hotel. "Where's your husband?" I said to the proprietress. "Why, he's gone with the chauffeur to take our motorbuses and taxi to the requisition committee." "What?" "Yes, Madame." "But I wanted him to motor me over to Soissons to-morrow!" "Well, if he gets back to-night and they leave him a single machine, I'll let you know, Madame." In the afternoon the drum beat anew and I learned that all the bakers in the village (there were three of them) having been called to the front, we were likely to be without the staff of life. In the presence, therefore, of the impending calamity, the village government had decided to take over the bakery--it had found an old man and a very young apprentice who would do the work, but each citizen was requested to declare the number of persons composing his household and in order to economize flour, so much bread would be allowed per bead and each family must come and fetch his supply at the town hall between eleven and twelve o'clock! Needless to say, it must be paid for in cash, though the Board reserved the right to look after the village poor. In like manner, all the salt had been reserved
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