rm lights were still soaring heavenwards.

"We can't do anything by staying here," decided the major. "My place is
with the Infantry Brigade, and I must find them."

"We can report, at any rate, that the Boche lights went up within a few
seconds of the start of our barrage, and that the enemy artillery
replied within four minutes," I remarked, looking at my wrist-watch, as
shells from the direction of the Boche lines poured through the air.

"Yes, we can say that," responded the major, "and ----, keep down!" he
called out violently.

A number of bullets had swished swiftly past us. We kept close to the
bank and walked, bending down, until we came again to the sunken
portion of the road.

"We can also report that this road was subjected to machine-gun fire,"
concluded the major pointedly.

We ducked again with startled celerity just before reaching the wood.
This time it was a short-range shell from one of our own guns--there
was no mistaking the wheezy, tinny sound of its passage through the
air. It fell in front of us on the edge of the road, and delivered its
shrapnel as vengefully as if it had fallen in the Boche lines. As we
came beyond the wood we met young Stenson with a small party of
gunners. His face shone with expectancy. He was on the way to man the
forward gun that A Battery had placed overnight under cover of a bank
not far from the road the major and I had just walked along.

"Well, old fellow," remarked the major, removing his steel helmet when
we got back to headquarters, "a cup of tea, and you'd better go
straight down to those trenches the other side of Guillemont and
inquire what has become of the Infantry Brigade. And you can deliver
our reconnoitring report."

It was a long walk, and I resolved to pick up my horse for the return
journey. The Infantry brigadier was taking an early cup of tea when I
found his headquarters. His brigade-major told me that there had been a
change of plan, and the Brigade did not come forward, as previously
arranged. "We couldn't find you to let you know," he explained. "Show
me the position of your headquarters on the map.... Oh, we have our
advanced headquarters not three hundred yards from you, and you will
find the 2nd ---- headquarters near there too.... I'm sorry we didn't
let you know last night. But none of our despatch-riders could find
you."

I rode back the best part of the way, and found the major, the
adjutant, and Wilde fortifying themselves with