had left, nursing in the barracks, which are now used for hospital
work. In fact, almost every third or fourth house, both private and
public, as well as schools, were given to the use of the government
and converted into Red Cross stations.

The happy days in Leoben came to an abrupt end, my regiment
receiving orders to start immediately for the front.

We proceeded to Graz, where we joined the other three battalions
and were entrained for an unknown destination. We traveled via
Budapest to Galicia, and left the train at Strij, a very important
railroad center south of Lemberg. It must be understood that the
only reports reaching us from the fighting line at that time were to
the effect that the Russians had been driven back from our border,
and that the Austrian armies actually stood on the enemy's soil. Strij
being hundreds of miles away from the Russian frontier, we could
not but surmise that we were going to be stationed there some time
for the purpose of training and maneuvering. This belief was
strengthened by the fact that our regiment belonged to the
Landsturm, or second line of reserves, originally intended for home
service. We were, however, alarmed that very same night and
marched out of Strij for a distance of about twenty miles, in
conjunction with the entire Third Army Corps. After a short pause
for the purpose of eating and feeding the horses, we marched
another twenty-two miles. This first day's march constituted a very
strong test of endurance in consequence of our comparative
softness and lack of training, especially as, in addition to his heavy
rifle, bayonet, ammunition, and spade, each soldier was burdened
with a knapsack containing emergency provisions in the form of
tinned meats, coffee extract, sugar, salt, rice, and biscuits, together