They were dirty, unshaven, dusty from head to foot, scorched by the
August sun, in tattered uniforms and broken boots; but they were
beautiful men for all their dirt, and the laughing courage, quiet
confidence, and unbragging simplicity with which they assured me that
the Germans would soon be caught in a death trap and sent to their
destruction filled me with admiration which I cannot express in words.
All the odds were against them; they had fought the hardest of all
actions--the retirement from the fighting line--but they had absolute
faith in the ultimate success of their allied arms.
I managed to get to Paris. It was in the middle of the night, but
extraordinary scenes were taking place. It had become known during the
day that Paris was no longer the seat of the Government, which has
moved to Bordeaux. The Parisians had had notice of four days in which to
destroy their houses within the zone of fortifications, and, to add to
the cold fear occasioned by this news, aeroplanes had dropped bombs upon
the Gare de l'Est that afternoon.
There was a rush last night to get away from the capital, and the
railway stations were great camps of fugitives, in which the richest and
poorest citizens were mingled with their women and children.
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