The Romance oFa
Barefoot ? iyho
Rose to fre the
Leader oFAiiferictfs
Army in Ranee irv
the Great World
\vfer ?
BY CHARLES N. LURIE.
CHAPTER I.
Little Johnny Sees the Soldiers.
LITTLE Johnny Pershing peered
around the end of the work truln
"Dad." lie called, Ills Hlirlll child's
voice Bounding above the "thud, thud,
thud!" of the picks wielded by the con
struction gang. "oh, dad. kin I stay
from school today? Company II la
goin' to have a drill, ami 1 want to Bee
them."
John Pershing, construction fore
man. wiped the perspiration from his
brow and climbed down from the em
bankment where the new side track
was being laid. He approached the
l?oy, laid ids hand on Ills shoulder and
asked. "What does mother say?"
"She told me to run over and ask
you."
"Well, if mother don't say 110, go
ahead."
With a whoop of delight anil evi
dently anticipating his mother's con
sent, little Johnny ran for home as
fast as his little bare brown feet would
carry him. Ills mother stood in t lie
doorway of the neat little white cot
tage. She suiIUhI, knowing that father
had followed the usual plan of "leav
ing it to mother."
"Father says 1 kin stay if you don't
care, mother. Please let me see the
soldiers drill!"
"Well, 1 guess one afternoon from
school won't make much difference,
and you do love to watch the soldiers,
don't you, Johnny?"
"I sure do, mother."
"Well, get your face and hands
washed and come in to lunch."
After lunch Johnny hied to the vil
lage stpiare of t tie little town of La
clede, Mo., and took up his point of
vantage 011 the band stand, where he
could see all operations.
The drill over. Captain Johnson, at
tracted by t lie keen interest with
widen the barefooted little urchin had
followed every movement, said, "Well,
sonny, what do you think of my sol
diers?"
"They're pretty good drillers, cap
tain. but they don't step out smart
enough."
"By Jove! Right you are, boy!
That's Just what I was a-tellin' them.
Are you going to be a soldier when
you grow up?"
"That's what 1 want to lie. but dad
says he has other plans."
"Maybe he'll change his mind when
you get big. sonny. Plans don't alius
work out as expected."
Hut even little Johnny Pershing's
plans, way back there in Missouri in
the sixties, were not formed with posi
IJTTLE JOHNNY HKES TIIK SOLDIERS DKIU.
tiveness, as is the case with the plans
of so many youngsters. True, he want
ed to be a soldier. What live lad in
the years Just after the civil war did
not have his thoughts fired by the
stories of fighting In the great strug
gle? In his dreams he saw himself
leading desperate charges against the
enemy? Hut he also had dreams of
being a lawyer and standing, like
Daniel Webster or Henry Clay, with
one hand thrust into his coat. moving
Judges and Juries with his eloquence.
He and his mother and father just
knew, of course, that Johnny would
make a fine lawyer, because he always
stood well in his studies in the town
school.
"Mother." said the elder Pershing
one day, "I feel I'm getting a bit too
old to work on the road much longer
Old Hrainard passed me on the street
today and stopped to chat with me
He wants me to buy out his geueral
store and thinks 1 could make it pay.
"What do you say?"
After much planning between Mr.
Pershing and his wife and weighing of
possibilities the step was decided upon,
and Johnny Pershing's father liecame
a merchant. Johnny's part in the mat
ter was that of active partner? very
active, indeed, for to him fell the work
of assisting in the store after school
and running on such errands as were
not !>eyond his strength.
"Johnny's a good boy and helpful to
f nt tier Iiixl in*." said Mr*. Polling.
?but soractliu - It Is a little bard to
i t him a ?ay from li!* hoo'.;s. Seem*
tike lie wsi.ts to upend in- ? -t ??f hi*
time ntudylug. I I feckon lie 11 giow
up wo. I. for lie can run and jump a*
well u< n:i of fie lad* h-jea'oout.
I'lfrht-i t met lines. too. Why. twas
only In t week Unit he pit lied tut"
that : 1 1 -j i : i ni boy I"1' u- '*1- I*"1' o!
fatli'T. Vo l know. f il'ier kept the I'll
Ion Hag dying here when B'Iiip of ?> ui
nclghbois i .iVoi ed I lie south, mid it
seem* Mr. Simmons spoke abo'.'.t It ami
t'.oli Simmon* hi t' 'icd at .1' hnny <>*'
account of It. Hul Johnny says Bob
won't laugh any more. They do sa.\
Johnny made him h iller * ' i : ? t In J1
a few minutes. I re' -'.con 1 'Ion t want
Jolinny to tlicltt. hut if lie must light
he might a* well do it defending Ills
own father*
CHAPTER II.
"Soldier, Lawyer or Schoolteachcr?"
SO. study! >.?& und woiklug? and
lighting some, mcs -until lie was
? li lie Jolinny" no i: ore. Johnny
Pershing grew ami grew until lie out
grew the little village school in La
. lede. The little store paid well
enough to warrant the expenditure of
money on John's education, and a fam
ily eonfcreu e iesv.Le.1 in the somLng
of liini to the noiT.ial school at Klrka
ville. on* < f the not.d schools In that
pint of Missouri. Throughout the
yearn wliicli he spent there-years of
hajgiiness, with plenty of hard work
at his booivs ami plenty of outdoor re<
reatUin? the Idea of becoming a law
yer persisted In the lad a mind. Manj
a time he spoke of it to boyhood
friends, and it seemed that he would
surely become an attorney after pass
lug through tlie at age through which
so many of our American country bred
lawyers have passed, that ^of school
teacher.
"Mother" said he one day on one of
tils visits home from Klrksvllle. "I ve
been appointed teacher at Prairie
Mound. I feci as though 1 ought to do
sometlring now to help dad avd you.
So Pin going to teach schrol and try to
earn enough so that I can stu.lv law
I did want to be a soldier, but I don I
believe there'll ever be another big
war. and 1 don't want to be a soldier
nil my life un'.esa I can see active
service."
Soldier or not, John was to see a
lively 1 It of IVrht'ic: be?ore he had been
a schoolmaster very Icng.
"Billy." raid be one day to one of Ills
bigger pupils, "did you study your
spelling less hi V" "No. and I a In t a-go
ln' to." waj '.he sal'.cn reply of the big
bov. Th ; e itlre < las* looked up with
srdlen l"c i bit rest. Billy bad "al
tMved" before then all at recess that
dav * tfont be wn ; tired of "Johnny
Pei filing's bullyin' " and he was "go
In* to f how him that a teacher isn't
the whole s h'-ol an\ way.
?Why not?" as';ed the teacher
quietly,
"'Cause 1 didn't feel like it." was
Hilly'* Impudent reply.
? You'll stay af.er ? bo >1 nrd stu!>
it'" The words of jti ac'it came with
a snap from John Pershing's square
law*. . , ,
"Won't, neither!" sa d Bill>. And In
fi moment, as the teacher reached for
his collar (this was long before the
days of "tm.*l suasion"!, there was a
llvelv Pilxrp lu the country school; but.
of course, the teacher won. and the
thoroughly thrashed and cowed B.lly
stayed In.
Next day the school bad a visitor
He was Billy's father, and every hair
In ills red side whiskers bristled with
anger as he drove up to the school.
From his month came a stream of
curses on JOhnny Pershing, lied
show him whether he cpulil lick hi ;
bov or not. In Ids hand was a big
array revolver. It looked pretty se
rious for Johnny Pershing. The young
fellow did not scare. In a quiet, even
tone he said to the angry farmer:
"Get oflf your hor.se, put up your gun
take off your coat and tight li.ie a
man!"
With all his bluster, the man was no'
a coward. He accepted J?.!m's invltn
tion. and there was the l ie.' se-.:;
ever seen l:i that part of M!s?or.ri
John was then only a lad of seveiPe
or eighteen, but he whipped tlie growi
man to a frazr.l*.
"John." said Mr. Pershing to bis soi
one day not long afier l i s li Jit. .*li
Burroughs is going to appo.nt a yoi.s
man from this cos; r ss.o: 1 *? <t.ict i
West Point. You've always had i
sort of Idea that ytvi v.ai , t ? 1 .
soldier. Why don't yon try for tl:<
appointment?"
"I'll do it. father." said John. "1 an
sure I can pass the exjirdnotloits <i
Mr. Burroughs wiil give uie fiermissioii
to try. I'll go and see him today.' ^
So "Tow heart" Johnny Pershing went
to call on ("oupressinan Burroughs am
obtained his jiermissio i to enter tli
examination for the great, wonderful
Military academy nt West Tolut which
had turned out so many famous aol
diem. It wan a narrow squeak for
John, since he won the appointment
by only one point A difference almost
too small to l?e measured would have
sent another man to "the Point," and
John would in ull likelihood have In
come a city lawyer instead of a gen
era L
CHAPTER III.
An Officer In th? Army.
W1IETIIKK a man remain* In the
army long enough to win bU
general's stars or whether he
leaves the service before he even fin
ishes the course at the Military acade
my, he never forgets the day that ue i
him enrolled it "the l\>liit." It la one
of the "(!u; - of d?tys" In his life. It is
all o new and strange and there un?
so mauy rules to be o! erved and cus
toms to be learned and things to be
seen that it is like beginning a new
life. Many u country lad enters the
academy raw, green a:id untrained,
and If he has the plu( k and stamina,
mental and physical, to finish the course
he emerges a finished product ? "an of
ficer and a gentleman"? fit to command
men.
So It was with John Pershing. Put
he did more than finish the course; he
went through It with honor. He wits
graduated as senior cadet captain,
which means that in military affairs
he ranked above all his classmates
Others topped him in some of the
studies which make up the curriculum
at the rnite<H?tates Military academy,
but it was his voice that rang out the
commands for his classmates on
HK llKCOMI S ON K OF WEST rOINT'S MOST
DA KINO HOB8EMCN.
I ho widespread and beautiful parade
ground on the proud day when the
cadets were reviewed by the secretary
of war. This was in June, 1880, and
John became Lieutenant Pershing,
United Stales army. He was then
twenty-six years old.
He had been homo to visit the
"folks" during his furlough after lie
had been at the academy two years.
His friends turned out to greet him,
of course, and the rest of the town
flocked to see him arrive. It isn't ev
ery day that a man from West Point
arrives at a little place in Missouri,
and every one wanted to see as soon
as possible what two years of 1'ncle
Sam's training had done for Johnny
Pershing. They were not disappoint
ed. He had left Laclede a tall, wiry,
young fellow, without any especial dis
tinction; lie returned a well set up.
strong chap, showing in his bearing the
results of the rigid training of the
gymnasium and fields. He had already
the assured bearing of a military man.
He had become a wonderful equestri
an, riding anything that the academy
held in the line of horseflesh. He was
always first to get away when the
bugles rang out the notes of the
"Charge!"
Of course John's first day home was
given to his folks. No one else could
take the first happy hours of the young
man on furlough. But the second day
found him wandering in the fields and
woods with his boyhood chum, Charley
Spurgeon.
There was so much to tell al>out the
life at the academy! "Tell me," said
Charley, "what do you think alxn:t
life in the army?"
"I don't think I'll stick to it." said
John, "although I'll try to finish the
course at the academy. 1 think I'll
have to go back to my original idea of
studying law. This country is at peace
now, and it's going to stay at peace.
There won't be a gun fired in the next
hundred years. The army is no place
for me In peace time. I'd start in as
a second lieutenant and I'd get to be
a first lieutenant only when the first
lieutenant died, and so on through all
the grades. I'm older now than most
of the men at the academy, and per
haps I'd be no higher than a colonel
when the time came for me to retire.
1 believe the world is going to l?e too
peaceful in the future to make the
army look very promising to me as a
ea reer."
Put Lieutenant Pershing found plen
ty of work to do as a soldier and that,
too. soon after his graduation. The
Apaches and other wild western tribes
were often on the rampage, and the
soldier ordered to the western plains
and mountains and mesas had his
work cut out for him. Pershing in the
cavalry, the branch of the service most
often used against the redskins, trot
his share of the hard work. It did not
always mean fighting, however. Often
there were palavers with the chiefs
and matters could be settled without
bloodshed.
Even In those early days Pershing
showed the quick thought that distin
guished him In fields far removed from
the western states. Army men tell
with delight how one day Pershing
was sent by hi ? commanding ?>tHcer to
attend a council of Xavaho braves. It
was a holiday, and the mlskins were
?musing themselves with games and
athletic contests.
One of the braves spied the tall, ath
letic figure of Lieutenant Pershing.
lie walked m> to the soldier.
"lluh!" he said, following it with a
long string of Indian gutturals.
"He says he wants to wrestle with
the big white mail." said the Inter
preter.
'Tell him," said Pershing, "nothing
doing. He's too dirty."
"All right," was the Indian's retort.
"If I'm too dirty to wrestle with I'll
run him a foot race. All he'll have to
do Is keep ahead of me."
"Itace him. Jack," said Lieutenant
Grayson. "It's up to you to uphold |
the honor of the white race."
"Can't 1h> done. You know my ankle
is still weak from that sprain."
"They won't ln*lieve it. You can
Iwat the big buck anyway."
So the race was run and was nearly
lost by Pershing, About ten feet from
the finish line his ankle gave way and
he rolled over in a heap. But his pres
ence of mind remained upright, and
with a mighty effort he gathered him
self up into a ball, turned a somersault
and lauded across the line a winner.
CHAPTER IV.
Fighting and Studying.
SO the years go for Pershing in the
west. There is some lighting,
much marching and drilling, with
official commendation for duty well
performed. I tut promotion lags. The
< all of Blackstone aud Kent still tries
to lure him from the profession of
arms, but it is not until 1SU3, when he
has Just completed a year's term as
military instructor at the University
of Nebraska, that he wins his degree
of bachelor of laws. lie has put in
all his spare time in the study of the
law. He will make a good lawyer,
l'or his keen mluQ is used to reasoning
out closely the problems that confront
him. But he has spent eleven years
in the nrmy, including the four years
as the Military academy, and it is
hard t<> break away from long associa
tions. He will remain in the service,
for awhile at least, he thinks. His
men think well of him, especially the
colored troopers of the Tenth cavalry,
in command of whom he has acquired
the sobriquet of "Black Jiick." lie has
also served as an instructor at the
military academy.
In the meantime his belief that the
United States will never become in
volved in another war is in a fair way
to be disproved. For a century or
more the black cloud of revolt has
hung over Cuba und the Philippines,
and the severity of the Spanish gov
ernment in the "Pearl of the Antilles"
has evoked protests from the United
States. Then come the destruction of
the Maine, the fevered debates in con
gress, the declaration of war, and ev
ery regular army officer is burning to
get into the scrap in Cuba. Of course
"Black Jack" Pershing was one.
It is on the day of El Caney, one of
the hottest tights of the short war,
that the colonel of the Tenth cavalry
turns to his orderly. "Who commands
those troopers there on the right?" he
asks.
"That's Pershing, sir."
"By Jove, I thought so! He's the
man! See him go up that hill! Pvi
been through the civil war and I've
seen men under tire many a time, but
011 my word, he's the bravest and cool
est man under tire I ever saw in my
life! Washington shall hear of this,
sir!"
And Washington did hear of it, to
such good effect that Lieutenant Persh
ing, now major of volunteers, went to
the Philippines when that bunch of un
ruly islands needed cleaning up. In
the meantime he had shown Ills flue
administrative abilities as organizer
and first chief of the bureau on insular
affairs. It was hard work, almost like
setting up a new department of the
UK FIGHTS AND DEFEATS THE 6AVAGE
MOKOS.
government, niul many n time rprshin :
could be seen nights in Washington
stretching his walks for miles anil
miles toward the outskirts of the city
while he wrestled with the problems
that confronted him. Hut he "made
good," us he had done in everything
he undertook since his boylxod days.
? ?*???*
"I have heard of these now white
men who have come to our lands to
take the place of the Spaniards," sniil
Datto Bangbang of the Moros to hi*
most intimate friend. "They are bet
ter fighters than the Spaniards, it i?
said. Rut they cannot prevail against
us. Are not our krisses and barongs
sharp enough to cut them up? Have
we not the great prophet with us, who
promises us everlasting bliss hereafter
if we die killing the dogs of unbeliev
ers? Let them come!"
"I have heard of these Moros." said
"Mack Jack" Pershing. "They're
tough customers, llut they've got to
;>bey the laws and stop their fighting
now that our Uncle Sam la their new
?overlord.' I think we can clean them
up, th. Dill?" And Lieutenant Brew
ster, hia friend, nouded and said, "You
bet!"
The days were very full now for
Pershing and Brewster und their men
and ull the other Americana who were
trying to instill lawubldlng waya into
the tierce Mums, it was a hard task.
Some said that it was impossible.
J They had to fight not only against the
savage Moros. l. .it ; -alast a treacher
ous climate. Hi suited to the white
man, even though h ? is able to take
i all possible tare ??? himself. But when
the white i tan lia* t ? <1 > Id* fighUng.
now in swnrap and Jungle, uow on the
sides of steep mountains, now in the
hot tropical - in -'.line and uow In the
cool of the evening and t!.e deep trop
ical midnight against a brave, wily,
fanat li-ul enemy It is 11 t to 1 e won
dered nt tli t th? ti :''t d ra . -_red 0:1 for
years. Kven men like Pershing,, hack
ed by soldiers brave . s u the world
ever produced, co :id not be expe ted t >
complete the jo!> in a g'?o t fine.
The smoking ro v.i of t e Army and
Navy club in \Va.> . i:i -rt n wa < v. ? i tilled
when the new* ca::?e t'.:nt "Pershing
had done It Kgiin." "Whit d ? you
think of 'Black Jack' Pershing? ' asked
one member of an t!:er. "JeTcr.;;>n's
Ix'on up ut t!ie secretary's to, lay, aijd
the old man to!d hi. 11 t' at Pershing's
not only cleaned up the Moros, but has
got the blooming heathen t > ekvt him
one of their chiefs, '..'hat d'ye call
those chiefs? fcrny, Brown, you've been
up against the Mor? v Wiiat do they
call those chiefs of theirs? ( h. yes;
dattos. Miii 'i o' li re I. We've got ?t
datto anion-: rs now. I> >ys. Pershing's
a datto. I>ai to Pershing scunds well,
doesn't it?"
And at that minute in the far away
Philippines Captain Pershing? he had
his two bars 011 his shoulders uow?
was walking through a Moro village
with brown skinned Moro maidens
strewing Uowers In his pathway. Was
he thinking of the flowers and the hom
age that was being paid to him? Not
a bit of it. lie was rehearsing in his
mind t lie passage from the Koran
which lie was going to spring on Datto
Bangbang to heighten still further that
dusky chieftain's respect for him!
Wily Pershing! lie has had the wit
to see that these people can be pacified
as well by getting inside their minds
as by shooting civilization into them,
lie has done his share of shooting,
with extraordinary courage that is to
bear extraordinary fruit in Washing
ton. Twice he went after the Moros?
in 1901-3 and in 1!?11-13.
CHAPTER V.
Making a Record Jump? Romance and
Tragedy.
TIIE news of Pershing's promotion
to brigadier general thrilled Wash
ington and sent a wave of aston
ishment through the nation. From cap
tain to brigadier general! Over the
heads of S<>2 senior officers jumps the
man who was once undecided whether
he should become a lawyer or a sol
dier. Unprecedented jump and one
not to be repeated, in all likelihood. In
the history of the American army.
But the former soldier in the White
House has followed with admiration
and perhaps just a bit of envy the won
derful work of the soldier in the Phil
ippines.
"I've just got to promote that man.
Taft says the law won't let me make
him a major or a colonel. What shall
I do with him? By Godfrey, I've got
it, I've got it! Hello, hello, give me
Secretary Taft at once. Mr. Taft, does
the law permit the president of the
United States to make a general officer
of any officer in the United States
army? It is your opinion that it docs.
Good! Have j-our man make out a
commission for Brigadier General John
J. Pershing as soon as you can, send it
over to me, and I'll sign it at once.
Goodby."
"Miss Warren," said Major Lampson
at h reception at the home of Senator
Warren of Wyoming, "will you permit
me to present my friend Captain Persh
ing?"
"I am delighted to meet Captain Per
shing," said Miss Frances Warren. "I
have heard of his work in Cuba and
the Philippines and have desired to
congratulate him."
This was the beginning of the ro
mance in the i'^e ct General Pershing,
a romance that was destined to end In
deepest tragedy. M iss Warren was
young, beautiful and a belle In Wash
Ingt ?n society. Iler father, senator
from Wyoming, was one of the leaders
in the national tipper house. She had
heard the work of Captain Pershing
lauded by the senators when President
Roosevelt made the captain's record
part of an annrnl message to congress.
So, tike l>esdemona. she "loved him for
the dangers Jie had passed."
They were married on Jan. 2<>. ll>or?.
Three daughters und a sen were born
to them, and then came the end in Au
trust, 1015. Iti a fire at t lie Presidio.
San Francis ?<>, Mrs. Pershing and the
three little girls were suffocated. The
son. Warren, was rescued. General
Pershing was then stationed at El
Paso. After a few days of bitter grief
he returned to his work in the army,
more silent than before, with li'is face
deeply graved with lines of sorrow.
Only the boy and his army career re
mained for him.
Again a crisis faces the United States
in relation to Mexican affairs. There
have been many serious situations In
the past three years, but none quite
as bad as this. Villa has broken loose,
has raided Columbus. X. M? and has
spilled American blood shed in defense
of the little border town. He h is swept
through Chihuahua, struck his blow
and got away in the night. All Amer
ica is aflame with the cry for venge
ance. "Get him nli\e or dead!" ri!r.r
the cry from one ocean to another
Washington turns to Funston, in com
Jtaud of the southern department
"Send your best brlymii-- !.?. t him
take whatever force yon t liix. . needed.
Get him over the bortiei .. - > as you
CUi. We've got to get \ i."
"Orderly," says Major t.cne.al Fun
stou, "tell General Pershing I desire to
see him at once!"
In u few m In fit os t'i ? little red head
?? I man from Km ?> .i. <2 the tall, gray
haired. sun brown 1 tidier fr?>m the
1K<:..-Ii! 1 in;: Mute of Missouri uie in
deep conference. Tbe ? itry has or
der. t ? admit no one. There is work
to 1-e across the border. i nd Fuu
sfc:i, <>'noyi:i;? dire -ti lis from Vashing
t< l, li s L't at i'Uiv up Hi the man to
do it. It is Brigadier General l'er.sb
ins, the veteran of lighting in Cuba.
In the Philippines, the 1:1:111 who served
as military attache with the Japanese
army in Manchuria during the g.gau
tlc struggle with Itussia, the able sol
dier. diplomat, lawyer, student of lan
guages and international affairs.
"The president wants you to 'get'
Villa." say$ I'unston.
"When shall 1 start after him?" says
Pershing.
Who can say that Pershing would
not have got Villa if Washington, not
desiring to make war on all Mexico.
V
HE QUESTIONS A SPY IV MEXICO.
had not called off the expedition?
Surely not any army man who knows
rersliing. When he started after \ Ilia
we just knew that Villa's future was
settled. But the great war in Europe
was threatening to involve the I nited
States. Carranza was bitterly hostile,
and Villa displayed the qualities of a
will-o'-the-wisp. No one was more dis
appointed than Pershing when the or
ders to return were issued and he, the
soldier in Mexico, had to bear them
and obey.
The great war was devastating the
world, and America, after more than
two years of waiting, was called upon
to "make the. world safe for democ
racy." Foreign countries sent their
envoys here to discuss with the pres
ident and the government the manner
in which America could make its
weight tell in the shortest time.
"Send us some of your men. that our
soldiers may see them at their side and
be heartened in the fight against Ger
man autocracy." said Balfour and Jof
fre to President Wilson and Secretary
of War Iiaker.
"We shall send them," said President
Wilson. "Mr. Baker, whom shall we
send to command our troops in
France?"
"Send Pershing," said Mr. Baker.
"All America knows what Pershingcan
do. We know him to be not only a
brave, resourceful fighter, but a man of
high administrative ability. We must
send our French and British allies a
man who will bo able not only to lead
our men in the field and show that he
is conversant with the latest advances
in military science, but nlso a man
who can manage our soldiers before ?
they get into the battle line. He must
reprosent us to the French and the
British worthily, as we should want to
be represented."
"You are right, Mr. Secretary," said
President Wilson. "And from what 1
have heard of Pershing and seen of
him he is the man to send."
With absolute secrecy, without the
blare of a single bugle note or the roll
of a single drum, Pershing sailed for
Europe. Not until he landed in Eng
land did the American public know
that the commander of the southern de
partment, summoned to Washington
ostensibly for a consultation, had left
for the European battle front.
From the farthermost Scottish head
lands to the Mediterranean coast Brit
ain and France were atlame with inter
est, excitement and curiosity when the
announcement of Pershing s landing
was made. "Who is this man I eish
ing the Americans have sent us?" ask
ed one Londoner of another. "Blessed
if I know!" was the reply.
The newspapers ransacked their ref
erence departments and scanned their
files for material for writeups of Persh
ing. They told as much as they could
altout his career, but it was all too
little to satisfy the public's curiosity.
Then the crowds (lock ed to learn about
Pershing at first hand. Seldom in Eu
r pe's long history Iris any man receiv
ed so wonderful a reception. Here was
American aid in the great war, which
had lasted almost three years, pre
sented in tangible form in the person
of the tall, straight, soldierly figure of
a fighting general. The crowds went
literally wild over Pershing.
And all of this was expressed in heap
ed- up measure when tlie American
reached Paris. "The deliverer has
come! Vive Pershing! Vive Jo.Tre!"
rang the cries* when the two famous
generals appeared side by side in the
French capital. "This man has come
to France to repay the debt owed to
Lafayette, to Rochambean. to the other
Frenchmen who risked their lives that
America might lie fre:>. They will help
to deliver France from the German in
vader," said the crowds, and thev
cheered. Pershing until the b. rlevnrd*
raug.