eggs and bacon.

"We'll look round for a better protected headquarters than this after
breakfast," said the major briskly.

"When I've had a shave, sir," I answered appealingly. "I can't maintain
my efficiency without a shave, you know."

X. A MASTERLY TURNING MOVEMENT

August 30: Before noon we learned that the battle had gone not
altogether our way. Our own Divisional Infantry had fought well and
scattered the Boche in the low-lying village of Combles, but the
Division on our left had failed to force the enemy from the Morval
Heights. Consequently our infantry had been ordered to withdraw their
line slightly, while it remained impossible for the Field Artillery to
push forward so long as the Boche observers possessed the Morval ridge.

Our batteries, with an S.O.S. range of 1700 yards, were close enough,
as it was, to startle strict adherents of siege-war principles. Indeed
A Battery's forward section, handled first by Dumble and then by
Stenson, had boldly harassed the enemy machine-gunners from under 500
yards' range. Dumble had already been recommended for the Military
Cross, and Major Bullivant described Stenson's exploits while visiting
Brigade Headquarters during the afternoon.

"Yesterday," he told Major Mallaby-Kelby, "he took a sniping gun on to
the crest, and kept it in action for four hours, firing 150 rounds. At
one time he was within three hundred yards of the enemy. He wiped out
at least two infantry teams and waggons--although the Boche tried hard
to knock his gun out with 5.9's and whizz-bangs. This morning he fired
500 rounds over open sights, and the colonel of the ----s tells me he
helped our infantry a lot. I understand that more than once, when his
gunners got tired, he 'layed' the gun himself--not part of an officer's
work, perhaps--but he's a very sound youngster, and I should like to
get him something."

"I shall be pleased indeed to put him in," responded Major
Mallaby-Kelby. "A word from the infantry would, of course, help."

Our new headquarters, nearer to the Boche depot, consisted simply of a
deep stairless shaft with a 40 degrees slope. The props supporting the
roof were fusty with mildew and fungus, but the entrance faced away
from the German guns. As the colonel of the 2nd ----s was keen to be in
liaison with us, he and his adjutant and a couple of signallers shared
the shaft. The servants gathered clean straw from the German dump and
strewed it down the shaft. Major Ma