his position. We hope to stay a week
and shall leave tomorrow, if the machine can be made ready for so long
a trip in so short a time.

* * * * *

_Thursday, September 10th._ I had this morning a long talk with
Richard Harding Davis. He has just arrived from Belgium and is at
present striving to get permits to see the war in France. He said that
never in his previous war experiences had he seen such unspeakable
atrocities as the Germans have committed in Belgium. He speaks nearly
as vehemently about it as does Dr. Louis Seaman. He is the first
person with whom I have had opportunity to talk who has actually been
in Belgium and saw the details of the violation of that country by
Germany.

Hall was today unable to complete the preparations on his automobile.
On this trip, running through a region devastated by war, we dare not
count on finding gasoline, tires, or food, but must start well stocked
with all these essentials. We wish to keep going at least five or six
days and probably shall find during that time no opportunity to refit.
Hall is, therefore, loading up every spare corner of his automobile
with food, tires, and gasoline cans.

The great cry of the troops at the front is for matches, cigarettes,
and newspapers. I have purchased one hundred boxes of matches, one
hundred and sixty newspapers, and six hundred cigarettes to distribute
among them as chance offers.

It has been raining almost constantly this week. One cannot help
wondering what effect it has had upon the great battle out yonder, the
battle about which we still know so little, and of which we think so
anxiously.

CHAPTER IV

THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE

_Friday, September 11th._ It still continues to rain much of the time.
Today it developed into a drenching, pelting, soaking downpour, which
continued all day long.

Colonel Allen, Captain Parker, and I had luncheon at the Grand Hotel.
Hall arrived with the machine at two o'clock. He had packed into it,
or tied to it, an immense stock of canned goods, biscuits, and bread,
an incredible amount of gasoline, with a heavy overcoat and small
satchel for each one of us, until the car looked more like a
commissariat wagon than a touring car. We were bidden God-speed by
Major Henry, Captain Barker, and Lieut. Hunnicutt and by Frederick
Palmer and Richard Harding Davis, when just before half-past two we
shot out from the porte-cochere into the rain, prepared if ne