ts it is to be put
under arrest."

Nevertheless, when the telephone bell rang and I went inside the mess
to answer it, the infantry brigade-major's high-pitched voice said in
quick sharp tones: "The strong point has just been carried by the
enemy. You'd better be clearing out of your quarry."

IV. THE NIGHT OF MARCH 21

Something that aroused anger, recrimination, and some amusement
occurred during our night evacuation of the quarry. Officers' and men's
kit, the signalling outfit, the doctor's medical stores, and the cook's
stove and kitchen utensils, had been packed. The sergeant-major had a
final hunt round, and then gave the order "Walk march!" The G.S.
waggon, drawn by six D.A.C. mules, set off at regulation pace, the mess
cart drawn by Minnie, the fat roan, followed with due sedateness; and
then, hang me! if the pole of the Maltese cart didn't snap in two.
Old-soldier resource and much hard swearing failed to make it a
workable vehicle. Worse still, it was this cart that contained the
officers' kit, including the colonel's. It was pitch-dark, and the
advancing enemy not more than a thousand yards away.

I wasn't there at that exact moment, but I believe the sergeant-major
blamed the size of our "on leave" adjutant's spare kit for the
breakdown. "A valise and a half, two bags and a portmanteau--enough for
three people," he growled. An attempt was made to get our kit away by
adding to the load on the G.S. waggon, but that made it altogether too
top-heavy; and after ten minutes of sweating and shouting the
sergeant-major told the drivers to move off, leaving the wrecked
Maltese cart and the officers' kit behind. That was how I found it--on
the ground--when, having received final instructions from the colonel
for linking up the batteries by telephone as soon as they took up new
positions on the other side of the canal, I came out of the mess. The
colonel's servant stood by, looking angrily at the abandoned kit; and
the sergeant-major, now on his horse, was saying he would try to borrow
a cart from one of the batteries and get the stuff over the canal at
any rate.

"Get away as soon as you can," I interrupted, "and bring back the first
cart you unload at the waggon lines. You've got to get the Maltese cart
away as well. Two of the servants will stay behind to help load up when
you return. And look sharp if you don't want the Boche to be here
first."

A squadron of Yeomanry, with picks and shovels, were l