n. They were at times quite
without infantry on their front, for their position was behind the
French to the left of the British line.

As we sat on the road we began to see the French stragglers--men without
arms, wounded men, teams, wagons, civilians, refugees--some by the
roads, some across country, all talking, shouting--the very picture of
debacle. I must say they were the "tag enders" of a fighting line rather
than the line itself. They streamed on, and shouted to us scraps of not
too inspiriting information while we stood and took our medicine, and
picked out gun positions in the fields in case we had to go in there
and then. The men were splendid; not a word; not a shake, and it was a
terrific test. Traffic whizzed by--ambulances, transport, ammunition,
supplies, despatch riders--and the shells thundered into the town, or
burst high in the air nearer us, and the refugees streamed. Women,
old men, little children, hopeless, tearful, quiet or excited, tired,
dodging the traffic,--and the wounded in singles or in groups. Here and
there I could give a momentary help, and the ambulances picked up as
they could. So the cold moonlight night wore on--no change save that the
towers of Ypres showed up against the glare of the city burning; and the
shells still sailed in.

At 9.30 our ammunition column (the part that had been "in") appeared.
Major---- had waited, like Casabianca, for orders until the Germans were
500 yards away; then he started, getting safely away save for one wagon
lost, and some casualties in men and horses. He found our column, and we
prepared to send forward ammunition as soon as we could learn where the
batteries had taken up position in retiring, for retire they had to.
Eleven, twelve, and finally grey day broke, and we still waited. At
3.45 word came to go in and support a French counterattack at 4.30 A.M.
Hastily we got the order spread; it was 4 A.M. and three miles to go.

Of one's feelings all this night--of the asphyxiated French soldiers--of
the women and children--of the cheery, steady British reinforcements
that moved up quietly past us, going up, not back--I could write, but
you can imagine.

We took the road at once, and went up at the gallop. The Colonel rode
ahead to scout a position (we had only four guns, part of the ammunition
column, and the brigade staff; the 1st and 4th batteries were back in
reserve at our last billet). Along the roads we went, and made our place
on time, pul