ed. Many ancient villages, humble, irremediable ruins.
And yet here and there, perched upon these, frail cabins of planks and
tiles, sending forth thin threads of smoke, and emitting a timid light,
in an attempt to begin life again as before, on the same spot as before.
Now and again we chanced upon a hamlet which the hurricane had passed by
almost completely, full to overflowing with the afflux of neighbouring
populations.

Beyond P----, our advance, though it continued to be rapid, became
very difficult, owing to the confluence of convoys and troops. The main
roads, reserved for the military masses which were under the necessity
of moving rapidly, arriving early, and striking suddenly, were barred
to us. From every point of the horizon disciplined multitudes converged,
with their arsenal of formidable implements, rolling along in an
atmosphere of benzine and hot oil. Through this ordered mass, our
convoys threaded their way tenaciously and advanced. We could see on the
hill sides, crawling like a clan of migrating ants, stretcher-bearers
and their dogs drawing handcarts for the wounded, then the columns of
orderlies, muddy and exhausted, then the ambulances, which every week of
war loads a little more heavily, dragged along by horses in a steam of
sweat.

From time to time, the whole train halted at some cross-road, and the
ambulances allowed more urgent things to pass in front of them--things
designed to kill, sturdy grey mortars borne along post haste in a
metallic rumble.

A halt, a draught of wine mingled with rain, a few minutes to choke over
a mouthful of stale bread, and we were off again, longing for the next
halt, for a dry shelter, for an hour of real sleep.

Soon after leaving C----we began to meet fugitives. This complicated
matters very much, and the spectacle began to show an odious likeness to
the scenes of the beginning of the war, the scenes of the great retreat.

Keeping along the roadsides, the by-roads, the field-paths, they were
fleeing from the Verdun district, whence they had been evacuated by
order. They were urging on miserable old horses, drawing frail carts,
their wheels sunk in the ruts up to the nave, loaded with mattresses and
eiderdowns, with appliances for eating and sleeping, and sometimes too,
with cages in which birds were twittering. On they went, from village to
village, seeking an undiscoverable lodging, but not complaining, saying
merely:

"You are going to Verdun? We have