e," I said quietly.

Over another bridge; and I still walked with Dumble at the head of his
battery. There was a long wait while a line of French waggons moved out
of our way. Some of the men were yawning with the sleepiness that comes
from being cold as well as tired. We were now on the outskirts of a
village that lay four miles from Varesnes.

"What do you say if we stop at this place and go on after a rest?" said
Dumble. I agreed.

I put Headquarter waggons and horses into an orchard, and found a
straw-loft where the men could lie down.

It was six in the morning, and I told the sergeant-major to have
breakfast up at 7.30. There was a cottage opposite the orchard; some
French soldiers were inside breakfasting. As I looked through the
window I felt I would give anything for a sleep. The old housewife, a
woman with a rosy Punch-like face, waited on the men. I asked her if
she would let me have a room. She demurred a while, said everything
was dirty and in disorder: the French _sous-officier_ was not gone yet.
Then I think she noticed how fagged I was. In two minutes my servant
had brought my valise in. "I'm going to take my clothes off," I said,
"but don't let me sleep after 7.30."

7.30 A.M.: I woke to find the sun streaming through the window. The
booming of guns sounded nearer than before. I got off the bed and
looked out. The fifty Headquarter men were breakfasting or smoking.
Something prompted me: I had the feeling that we ought to leave the
village at once. I shouted through the window for the sergeant-major.
The column could be ready to move in a quarter of an hour, he answered.
My servant brought me a change of boots and leggings, and I shaved.
"Won't you wait and have breakfast, sir?" asked the sergeant-major.
"No. Pack up everything; we'll get to Varesnes as soon as you are
ready."

I went round to see Dumble before we started, but he said he wasn't
going to hurry. "I'll let the men have a proper clean-up and march off
about eleven," he decided.

The Headquarter column wound away from the village, and set out on a
long smooth road that ran through a wood and edged away from the canal.
Two miles from Varesnes we met the brigade-major. His tired eyes
lighted up when he saw me. "What batteries have actually got over the
canal?" he questioned. I told him that A were in the village I had just
left. "C and B are coming round by the Noyon bridge," he informed me.
"I expect we shall send Headquarters and B