The next few days seemed to Pierre and Pierrette, and indeed to
all the inhabitants of Fontanelle, little less than a series of
miracles. In the first place, the Doctor and Mademoiselle had
scarcely finished the good lunch which Mother Meraut had waiting
for them on their return from camp, when a great truck, loaded
with sections of the portable houses, entered the great gate of
the Chateau. It was followed by a detachment of soldiers from the
Foreign Legion, sent by the Commandant to erect them. The
soldiers were also Americans, and Pierre and Pierrctte were
delighted to find that both "Jim" and "Uncle Sam" were among
them. Indeed Uncle Sam was in command of the squad, and when he
presented himself and his men to the Doctor and Mademoiselle, he
explained that the Commandant had detailed Americans to this
duty, as he thought that they would more easily understand what
the ladies wished to have done.
The whole place now swarmed with people working as busily as bees in a hive. By
night one house was fit to be occupied. The following night two
more had been erected, and the soldiers had laid tent floors in
all of them. The day after that six more young women in gray
came, bringing more supplies. Under the generalship of the
Doctor, Mother Meraut was installed in the carriage-house which
opened from the stable, and here she prepared meals for her
family and for all the new-comers as well. The Doctor established
a dispensary in one room of the Chateau, and Mademoiselle opened
a store in the basement, keeping there for sale a large quantity
of the supplies which had been brought by the six young women.
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