One young chap had woven sheaves of dahlias and red peonies into the frame of his wheel, and through the clump of quivering blossoms the barrel of his rifle showed, like a black snake in a bouquet.

He told us that troops were coming behind, going to the extreme right wing--a good many thousands of troops, he thought.

Ordinarily Uhlans would have followed behind the bicycle men, but this time a regiment of Brunswick Hussars formed the advance guard, riding four abreast and making a fine show, what with their laced gray jackets and their lanes of nodding lances, and their tall woolly busbies, each with its grinning brass death's-head set into the front of it.
There was a blithe young officer who insisted on wheeling out of the line and halting us, and passing the time of day with us.

I imagine he wanted to exercise his small stock of English words.

Well, it needed the exercise.