[Illustration]
_Winter in Alsace_
[Illustration: WINTER IN ALSACE]
We now received our first taste of winter, and my first experience
made me put more faith in the rumors of large falls of snow than an
American likes to concede to any country but his own. I was sent to
our regular station at the _poste de secours_ at Mittlach. It was the
farthest away, up the mountain to Treh, along the bare crest for five
kilometres and then twelve more on a winding, narrow road to the valley
of Metzeral. There was little work then, and the car that I was to
relieve got a trip late that night in what was, even at Mittlach, a
terrific rainstorm. The next morning it continued raining, but I could
see the peaks of the mountains covered with snow; still no wounded, so
I waited, a little anxious, as no relieving car had arrived. Late in
the afternoon, just after dark, the familiar sound of a Ford brought
me out of the _poste de secours_, and I found Rice, with his car
covered with snow which even the rain hadn't yet melted. His story was
of helping the car I had relieved, all morning, in their efforts to
pull it on to the road from which a heavy ammunition wagon had pushed
it, neither vehicle being able to stick to the icy road. Farther on he
had met continual snow-drifts. His eagerness to bring me chains, my
only chance of getting up, persuaded him to keep on, and he eventually
got through with everybody's help on the road. We decided to wait
until the storm was over, our only alternative, and proceeded to make
ourselves as comfortable as we could, which means a stove, somewhere to
sleep, and plenty to read and smoke. It was four days before the snow
let up and we had visions of a long and lonely winter, but as soon as
the storm broke we started up, and, as it proved, in the nick of time,
as the five kilometres along the crest were again swept by snow and
sleet and drifts were beginning to form. The Mittlach service had to be
abandoned after this, although in late November and early December a
car could go through, but it was impossible to assure the service and
it was found better to have sleighs and wagons do the work.