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[Illustration: MARY ROBERTS RINEHART RETURNING FROM THE WAR-ZONE AND CAPTAIN FINCH ON S.S. "ARABIC."]
KINGS, QUEENS AND PAWNS
An American Woman at the Front
BY MARY ROBERTS RINEHART AUTHOR OF "K"
NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 1915
CONTENTS
FOR KING AND COUNTRY
I. TAKING A CHANCE
II. "SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE"
III. LA PANNE
IV. "'TWAS A FAMOUS VICTORY"
V. A TALK WITH THE KING OF THE BELGIANS
VI. THE CAUSE
VII. THE STORY WITH AN END
VIII. THE NIGHT RAID ON DUNKIRK
IX. NO MAN'S LAND
X. THE IRON DIVISION
XI. AT THE HOUSE OF THE BARRIER
XII. NIGHT IN THE TRENCHES
XIII. "WIPERS"
XIV. LADY DECIES' STORY
XV. RUNNING THE BLOCKADE
XVI. THE MAN OF YPRES
XVII. IN THE LINE OF THE "MITRAILLEUSE"
XVIII. FRENCH GUNS IN ACTION
XIX. "I NIBBLE THEM"
XX. DUNKIRK: FROM MY JOURNAL
XXI. TEA WITH THE AIR-FIGHTERS
XXII. THE WOMEN AT THE FRONT
XXIII. THE LITTLE "SICK AND SORRY" HOUSE
XXIV. FLIGHT
XXV. VOLUNTEERS AND PATRIOTS
XXVI. A LUNCHEON AT BRITISH HEADQUARTERS
XXVII. A STRANGE PARTY
XXVIII. SIR JOHN FRENCH
XXIX. ALONG THE GREAT BETHUNE ROAD
XXX. THE MILITARY SECRET
XXXI. QUEEN MARY OF ENGLAND
XXXII. THE QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS
XXXIII. THE RED BADGE OF MERCY
XXXIV. IN TERMS OF LIFE AND DEATH
XXXV. THE LOSING GAME
XXXVI. HOW AMERICANS CAN HELP
XXXVII. AN ARMY OF CHILDREN
KINGS, QUEENS AND PAWNS
KINGS, QUEENS AND PAWNS
FOR KING AND COUNTRY
March in England is spring. Early in the month masses of snowdropslined the paths in Hyde Park. The grass was green, the roads hard anddry under the eager feet of Kitchener's great army. For months theyhad been drilling, struggling with the intricacies of a new career,working and waiting. And now it was spring, and soon they would beoff. Some had already gone.
"Lucky beggars!" said the ones who remained, and counted the days.
And waiting, they drilled. Everywhere there were squads: Scots inplaid kilts with khaki tunics; less picturesque but equally imposingregiments in the field uniform, with officers hardly distinguishablefrom their men. Everywhere the same grim but cheerful determination toget over and help the boys across the Channel to assist in holdingthat more than four hundred miles of ba