he problem of the last few days had been the water supply for the
horses. Although the sappers were hard at work in Combles, there was as
yet no water within five miles of the batteries. The Boche by smashing
all the power-pumps had seen to that; and the waggon lines were too far
in rear for moving warfare. "We shall be all right when we get to the
canal," had been everybody's consolatory pronouncement. "The horses
won't be so hard worked then."

We were still in the area of newly-erected Boche huts, and Headquarters
lay that night without considerable hardship. Manning, our mess waiter,
a fish-monger by trade, had discovered a large quantity of dried fish
left by the departing enemy, and the men enjoyed quite a feast; the
sudden appearance in new boots of ninety per cent of them could be
similarly explained. The modern soldier is not squeamish in these
matters. I overheard one man, who had accepted a pair of leggings from
a prisoner, reply to a comrade's mild sneer, "Why not?... I'd take
anything from these devils. There was a big brute this morning: I had a
good mind to take his false teeth--they had so much gold in 'em." Which
rather suggested that he was "telling the tale" to his unsympathetic
listener.

Late that night orders informed us that on the morrow we should come
under another Divisional Artillery. Our own infantry were being pulled
out of the line to bring themselves up to strength. The enemy were
still withdrawing, and fresh British troops had to push ahead so as to
allow him no respite. A Battery had already advanced their guns another
2000 yards, and through the night fired hotly on the road and
approaches east of the canal. Next morning Major Mallaby-Kelby was
instructed to reconnoitre positions within easy crossing distance of
the canal, but not to move the batteries until further orders came in.
Bicycle orderlies chased down to the waggon lines to tell the grooms to
bring up our horses. My groom, I remember, had trouble on the road, and
did not arrive soon enough for the impatient major; so I borrowed the
adjutant's second horse as well as his groom. A quarter of a mile on
the way I realised that I had forgotten my box-respirator; the only
solution of the difficulty was to take the groom's, and send him back
to remain in possession of mine until I returned; and all that morning
and afternoon I was haunted by the fear that I might perhaps be
compelled to put on the borrowed article.

The reconnoitr