All good stories should have an introduction, and as the collaborators wrote distinct accounts of the sinking of the Tuscania, it is necessary to harmonize the stories somewhat. It was the original intention of the editor to combine the separate narratives of the authors into a single story, but each was distinct enough to merit printing entire. Suffice to say that each got off the boat alright, which seemed to be the principal object in view at the time. The editor met Shorty Hoyer a month or so later and he was very willingly chopping wood in France. Nevertheless, we are proud of the fact that we had five Ames foresters on the Tuscania and are more than glad that they are still with us. -Editor’s Note.