tens of thousands of soldiers were busy making encampments , calling to one another and to the dragons who were helping them dig ditches and move stones and even widen roads , and those local shopboys more industrious than patriotic were running up and down the lanes of the camp , plying food and more commonly drink in high carrying voices and awkward , badly accented bits of french : `` une frank , monser '' and `` s'il voo plait , '' but they were already improving .