conditions and adjust it. On the way it is held over at the
"organization grounds," where it is given its supplementary equipment of
tools, water cask, and the necessary picks, shovels and tow cables to
get it out of the mud. This done, it is turned over to a new crew of
men, and, as one of the component parts of a train of cars in charge of
a truck company, it is sent "up front" if the need is urgent, or, in
case there are cars aplenty in that interesting locality, it is run to a
reserve station to await call.

When the car, after days or months at the front, begins to show, by its
coughing or wheezing or other signs, that it is about due for a new
lease of life, the journey is reversed. If the car is able to get back
under its own power, it goes back that way; if it is not, a hurry call
is sent for the auto-doctoring-train, which is nothing more nor less
than a repair shop on wheels. There the blue-jeaned doctors of the train
do their best for the car, and if it doesn't come around in a day or so,
it is towed back to be overhauled from A to Izzard.

For the supplying of this auto armada, Uncle Sam, who seems to have
overlooked nothing, has dotted the main routes from the Atlantic coast
of France up to the fighting lines with gasoline stations. At the ports
of entry themselves he has erected immense storage tanks, each capable
of holding 25,000 barrels of the precious juice. At a number of inland
bases on the way up are other tanks with a capacity of 5,000 gallons
each. Near the front are many smaller tanks, while at the front itself
the regular gas drums, small in size and readily transported, are
available for the cars that have run out.

Just to make sure, Uncle Sam has brought over a flying squadron of some
five hundred tank cars, which again has caused the natives to sit up and
take notice. These cars are loaded from the tank ships at the ports of
entry, and then sent inland to fill up the various depots. All in all,
this same Uncle Sam who, by the way, is now supplying his allies with
practically all their gasoline and lubricants, is doing a pretty good
and speedy job as a distributing agent.

One more sample of how this lean and canny old unk of ours uses his
head, and this story will be over. All the motor trucks are being
distributed about France in definite areas, according to their make; for
example, a certain area will be served by Packard trucks exclusively,
while another will have G.M.C.'s, and G.M.C.'