ne before, the greater part of his thoughts and attention. He made
their safety and comfort his first care, and protected them from
ridiculous orders and unnecessary fatigue. He found himself watching and
playing upon their moods. He tried very hard and earnestly to make them
a good officer. He thought that they were the salt of the earth, that
there never had been men like them, nor would be again.

No sooner had a scanty meal been rammed down their throats than they
were paraded once more, and hurried away to the crest of another ridge.
One of the Aisne bridges had been left standing, and apparently the
enemy was across it, and already threatening to envelop their position.
Having reached higher ground they stopped for what was left of the
night, since it was impossible for the enemy cavalry to attack them in
that country.

CHAPTER XI

A REAR-GUARD ACTION

In a couple of hours' time the march was continued in the darkness. The
men lurched from side to side, with brains too fagged to control their
feet. The Company was sent out to act as flank-guard on the top of the
crest beneath which the column was moving. This movement was very
tiresome, as they had to move over broken country in an _extended_
formation, and to keep up with the column which was moving in _close_
formation along the road. To compensate for this they were able to fill
their haversacks with a peculiarly sweet kind of apple.

Later in the morning they emerged from the close country into the
typical open plains of France, covered with corn and vegetables. About
five or six miles of this, and then the darker greens of pine and fir
forests appeared in view.

The General Staff had selected this as the site of yet another
rear-guard action. One of the other Brigades in the Division was already
busily engaged in constructing a line of trenches not more than a
hundred yards in front of the woods. To their front the view was
uninterrupted, offering a field of fire unbroken by the least suspicion
of cover from view or fire.

The artillery was no doubt concealed in the woods behind. The men were
doing their work with a quick, noiseless efficiency that would have made
you very proud if you could have seen them.

Soon after the Column had passed into the woods, the noise of the guns
was heard. The Subaltern could imagine the whole scene as vividly as if
he could see it: the van-guard of the German Advanced Guard suddenly
"held up" by the bursting