Was it for political opinions or for some other reason, I know nothing of it, but the propositions I received from his colonel and which I hastened to send to the General, were held without reply----
So, during the battle of the Marne, the Division to which my _protégé_ belonged was on the right bank of the Meuse; I came, as you know, to be completely surrounded by the Germans for a period of forty-eight hours.
From that moment, I depended no longer on General Sarrail, from whom I was totally cut off.
So, an old order authorized generals commanding a besieged or surrounded spot to nominate officers up to a certain rank.
Having still in mind the last recommendation of young de Marnac, I hastened to send him his brevet of sub-lieutenant.
Up to here there is nothing romantic in my story, but you will see how this animal recompensed me for my kindness.
During the month of November, 1914, his Division was engaged in murderous fighting.
He had a battalion chief, named Petit, known in his regiment for his lack of mental equilibrium. He always had ideas more or less strange and fanciful, and he always caused comment by his eccentricities and his _bizarreries_.
I had ordered an operation to commence in the morning of the 15th, and Petit told all his men, before the attack, that he would give one dollar for every pair of German trousers they brought to him!
Do not laugh, he had more extravagant ideas than that!
The attack was successful and our _poilus_ struck a hard blow; they took numerous prisoners and reaped a mountain of trousers!
This sight was absolutely grotesque; the boches did not know what we wanted with them and this "kilty" disguise did not go well with them at all.
Petit, himself, was literally jubilant, splitting his sides with laughter before the German column about to start for the rear trouser-less.
Lieutenant de Marnac was furious, because he could not admit he carried on war in this manner and took it upon himself to go into the German lines, on a truce, and present his excuses to the general commanding the Division in front.
He fixed a white handkerchief on the end of his cane, took a bugler with him and calmly started out toward the enemy trenches.
All went well enough; the Germans bandaged his eyes and as he conveniently spoke the language, he asked the first officer he met to be conducted into the presence of the general of that Division.