ts were good.

Grimers arrived lunchless an hour later. He had been promoted to drive
the captured car. We took him to the tavern where beauty was allied with
fine cooking. There he ate many omelettes.

In the evening he and I suffered a great disappointment. We wandered
into another tavern and were about to ask for our usual "Grenadine" when
we saw behind the bar two bottles of Worthington. For a moment we were
too stupefied to speak. Then, pulling ourselves together, we stammered
out an order for beer, but the girl only smiled. They were empty
bottles, souvenirs left by some rascally A.S.C. for the eternal
temptation of all who might pass through. The girl in her sympathy
comforted us with songs, one of which, "Les Serments," I translated for
the benefit of Grimers, who knew no French. We sang cheerfully in French
and English until it was time to return to our billet.

In the morning a German aeroplane passed over at a great height. All the
youngsters in the village tumbled over each other for shelter,
shouting--Caput! caput![23]

Later in the day we advanced to Bailleul, where we learnt that the 1st
Corps was fighting furiously to the north. The square was full of
motor-buses and staff-officers. They were the first of our own
motor-buses we had seen out in Flanders. They cheered us greatly, and
after some drinks we sat in one and tried to learn from the map
something of the new country in which we were to ride. We rejoiced that
we had come once again upon a Belgian sheet, because the old French map
we had used, however admirable it might have been for brigadiers and
suchlike people, was extremely unsuited to a despatch rider's work.

Infantry were pouring through, the stern remnants of fine battalions.
Ever since the night after Le Cateau infantry in column of route have
fascinated us, for a regiment on the march bares its character to the
world.

First there were our brigades marching up to Mons, stalwart and
cheering. After Le Cateau there were practically no battalions, just a
crowd of men and transport pouring along the road to Paris. I watched
the column pass for an hour, and in it there was no organised unit
larger than a platoon, and only one platoon. How it happened I do not
know, but, when we turned on the Germans, battalions, brigades,
divisions, corps had been remade. The battalions were pitifully small.
Many a time we who were watching said to one another: Surely that's not
the end of the K.O.Y.L.I