d
retired to its second position. At last nobody remained with him except
a section. They were together in a hut, and outside he could hear the
bullets singing. He noticed some queer-looking explosives in a corner,
and asked what they were for. He was told they were to blow up the
bridge over the canal, so decided it was time for him to quit, and did
so with some rapidity under a considerable rifle fire. Then he was sent
up to the Manchesters, who were holding a ready-made trench across the
main road. As he rode up he tells me men shouted at him, "Don't go that
way, it's dangerous," until he grew quite frightened; but he managed to
get to the trench all right, slipped in, and was shown how to crawl
along until he reached the colonel.

N'Soon and Sadders were with the 13th. On the Sunday night they had to
march to a new position more towards their right. The Signal Section
went astray and remained silently on a byroad while their officer
reconnoitred. On the main road between them and their lines were some
lights rapidly moving--Germans in armoured motor-cars. They successfully
rejoined, but in the morning there was something of a collision, and
Sadders' bicycle was finished. He got hold of a push-bike alongside the
waggons for some distance, finishing up on a limber.

Spuggy was sent up to the trenches in the morning. He was under heavy
shell fire when his engine seized up. His brigade was retreating, and he
was in the rear of it, so, leaving his bicycle, he took to his heels,
and with the Germans in sight ran till he caught up a waggon. He
clambered on, and so came into St Waast.

I had not been in many minutes when I was sent off to our Army H.Q. at
Bavai. It was a miserable ride. I was very tired, the road was full of
transport, and my lamp would not give more than a feeble glimmer.

I got to bed at 1 A.M. About 3.30 (on August 24) I was called and
detailed to remain with the rear-guard. First I was sent off to find the
exact position of various bodies posted on roads to stem the German
advance. At one spot I just missed a shell-trap. A few minutes after I
had left, some of the Manchesters, together with a body of the D.
Cyclists who were stationed three miles or so out of St Waast, were
attacked by a body of Jaegers, who appeared on a hill opposite.
Foolishly they disclosed their position by opening rifle fire. In a few
minutes the Jaegers went, and to our utter discomfiture a couple of
field-guns appeared and f