of everyone, to be gradually taking the lead. This fact called (p. 003)
forth the remark from her master, "By Jove, she is pulling extraordinarily
hard to day: what can be the matter with the animal?" It was then
discovered that the rider had been at her mercy for the last couple of
miles, the bit clanking merrily from side to side under her great jaw.
In the hurry and excitement of departure, after lunch, the bit had not
been replaced in her mouth!

The afternoon was spent in reconnoitering the gun positions allotted
to us, which were the alternative positions of the units already in
line. As a rule, each battery makes a second or alternative gun
position, in case it should be shelled out of its existing one, so
that no delay takes place in getting into action again. When night
fell there was subdued excitement in the wagon line as the time drew
near to take the guns "in." This was actually the beginning of our
first venture--would we have the luck to get there without being
caught in the enemy's harassing fire? How would we behave under
shell-fire: would we be steady or otherwise? All these and many other
questions flashed through our minds, for a great deal depends, more
than one would believe, on how a new and inexperienced unit receives
its baptism of fire.

At length a start was made, and the Battery moved off, and soon turned
down the long, straight main road leading to La Bassee, the trees on
either side showing signs of shrapnel scars, and even in the darkness
it could be seen that the cottages were, for the most part, in ruins.
It felt distinctly eerie as the small column proceeded silently on its
way without showing lights of any description; the stillness and
darkness broken now and again by the barking of a gun as we drew
nearer the battery zone, and by an occasional Verey Light, which
seemed to reveal us in all our nakedness. That long stretch of road
seemed interminable--were we never going to reach our destination?
However, all remained quiet throughout our progress, and at last we
arrived at the entrance to the gun position, which was to be our home
for the next fortnight. The guns were speedily unlimbered and
man-handled into the pits awaiting their reception, the ammunition was
unloaded from the vehicles, and the teams were returned to the wagon
line.

The following morning the pieces were "layed out" on our particular
zone, and we had time to look round and take stock of our new (p. 004)