'Anyhow, we've done our bit,' said one.

'A dirty bit, too,' said another. 'Still, the job's easy now, and a
fresh lot of men should take it in a couple of hours.'

'I'd rather go on with it,' said a third. 'I don't see why these other
blokes should have the easy job, and we have the hard one.'

'Cheer up, old sport,' said another, 'what do we care who does the job,
as long as it's done? We're not here for a picnic.'

And so on, while we retired. How far we went back, I don't know. I
have a confused remembrance of the fellows throwing themselves down on
the ground, almost sleeping as they fell, and not waiting for the food
which was provided for them, while others ate ravenously.

'Anyhow, we've given Fritz a twisting up to-day, and we've left the
other blokes a soft job,' were the last words I heard as I dragged my
weary legs to the place where I promised myself a good long sleep.

How long I slept I don't know, but it did not seem to me two minutes,
although it might have been as many hours.

'The Boches have broken through!' Those were the words that came to my
stupefied brain.

'What!' I exclaimed, 'it is impossible!'

'Yes, back at once!'

There was no time to ask questions, no time to argue. The poor fellows
who had been fighting so long and bravely were with difficulty roused
out of their sleep, and all had to retrace their weary steps towards
the positions for which we had fought, and which we had won.

'Why is it? why is it?'--'There must be a mistake!'--'Why, we had got
'em on toast.'--'I tell you, we left 'em nothing but a picnic!'

The men were angry, discontented, grumbling, but they went back to
their job determined to see it through nevertheless.

After that, I have but a dim recollection of what took place, except
that it was grim, hard, stern fighting. The air was sulphurous, the
ground hideous with filth, and blood, and dead bodies.

I don't know how it came about, but the Germans were more numerous than
we. It was not we who were taking prisoners, but they, and then
suddenly I found myself alone, with three Germans before me. One, I
remember, had a rag saturated with blood tied round his head. He had a
great gash in his cheek, too, and was nearly beaten; but there was the
look of a devil in his eye. Had I been a private soldier, I expect I
should have been killed without ado, but they called upon me to
surrender. I was mad at the idea. What, surrender after we had won
th