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Rebais was empty not even a tardy refugee straggled by the wayside, and before I reached the bakery I could hear the plaintive howls of my little brute. What a joyful welcome I received. What hilarious waggings of that little screw tail! But, there was no time to be lost, for the problem now was how Betsy was to catch up with the procession.
At length when almost disheartened and I had stood my loaf against the side of a house to cool, I recognized a familiar voice back of me, and George appeared on his wheel to announce that my party had camped in a young orchard two miles outside of Rebais, neither man nor beast being capable of going any farther.
By ten we reached the top and calling George, who had been walking beside the leader since we left home, I told him to take my place in the charette and I would mount my bicycle. Leaving orders to follow the straight road to Rebais, I pushed on ahead, promising to do my best, and an hour later found myself on the outskirts of the little town very weary and almost overcome by the heat.
My road map showed us to be at La Tretoire, midway between Charly and Rebais, but as there were no provisions to be had in so small a place, I decided to push on to the township where we might be able to get lodgings. This, however, must be done before noon, or we would be obliged to sleep out of doors again, for it would be impossible to travel through the heat of the day.
The Etat Major of a cavalry division was to bivouac at Rebais, would be leaving at midnight. My friends understood, and they who had not as yet seen a soldier since the war began, realized for the first time that they were now in the midst of the retreating army. I begged them to make ready for flight and they hurried homewards while I returned to the bakery to hold council.
"You will be voluntary prisoners, you know, for this is the zone de operations, and you will not be allowed to leave." I bethought me of Madame Guix. Was she still alive? My friend said he would be glad to accompany me to Rebais, as that was as near as any place for recruiting a nurse. And so again I whisked across the Marne.
When I finally made my entrance into Rebais, I found that thousands of other persons had probably had the same idea as I and it took but little time to discover that all rooms, whether private or public, were occupied. The place was overflowing with refugees.
"Considerable German columns of all arms were seen to be converging on Montmirail, while before sunset large bivouacs of the enemy were located in the neighborhood of Coulommiers, south of Rebais, La Ferté-Gaucher, and Dagny.
Yet Coulommiers was Von Kluck's headquarters and actually, when the Germans were driven back and the British troops entered the town, Prince Eitel, the second son of the kaiser; General von Kluck and his staff were compelled to run down to their motor cars and escape at top speed along the road to Rebais, leaving their half-eaten breakfast on the table, and their glasses of wine half emptied.
"We stayed until a shell burst on the house next door, then we thought it was time to go," explained Maitre Baudoin. "What time did you leave Rebais?" "Forty minutes ago. You'd better be moving, too." "Sorry, but I can't. The horses must rest." "Well, don't wait too long. Adieu." "Adieu," and they were off.
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