ulders of those who were lying in front of us; we thought every
moment that the network of projectiles would be drawn more tightly
round us, and that one would fall into our holes, transforming them
into a ghastly charnel-house.

This idea occurred to me suddenly and obsessed me. Yes, yes, presently
the great snorting, whistling, pitiless thing would fall between O.
and me. We should feel nothing; there would be no pain. We should be
only a little heap of bloody clay, and to-morrow at daybreak our
comrades would but have to throw a few spadefuls of earth upon it.
They would put a plain wooden cross above, with our names and ranks,
the number of our regiment, a date: "November 3, 1914." And it would
be better than any sumptuous monument.

"Hush! Listen!"

Between two explosions, in spite of the noise of the German bullets,
we distinctly heard the crack of our carbines.

"Our men are fighting!"

We all understood, and with one bound we were up and running
frantically through the wood. How was it that none of us were killed?
How did we manage to escape the shells and bullets which were cropping
the branches and felling the trees around us? I shall never understand
or forget this experience.

When at last we sprang breathless into our trench after what had
seemed an interminable race, the tumult had died down again and only
occasional shots broke the nocturnal calm. The reason of the sudden
renewal of the fighting was given at once by F.

"Bravo!" he cried; "we have retaken the infantry Chasseurs' trench!"

This was a great consolation to us, for we were all full of regret at
the loss of this little piece of ground. It had prevented us from
feeling quite satisfied with our day.

Now all was well. Our task was accomplished.

* * * * *

On the following day, November 4, at three in the morning, a battalion
of the ---- Regiment of the Line came to relieve us. It formed part
of that glorious 20th Corps, which has covered itself with glory ever
since the beginning of the war, and fought all along the front from
Lorraine to Flanders, always arriving at the moment when picked men
were needed to make a last desperate effort. It had come up that
evening, and was at once on the spot.

In the cold, luminous night, the heavily laden infantrymen defiled
into the narrow trench, calm, silent, and serious.

The officer who was to take my place presented himself smartly,