y that luck had
been against him--indeed, he never once used the word--but merely that
the German fortifications had been too strong and the gunfire too heavy.
He bore himself in the same manner that he would in his house in
England; but his eyes told of suffering and when he spoke of his men his
voice quavered.

Where the young officer had said that it had not gone well this time and
a private had said, "We must try again, sir!" the general had said that
repulse was an incident of a prolonged operation in the initial stage,
which sounded more professional but was no more illuminating. All spoke
of lessons learned for the future. Thus they had stood the supreme test
which repulse alone can give.

What could an observer say or do that was not banal in the eyes of men
who had been through such experiences? Only listen and look on with the
awe of one who feels that he is in the presence of immortal heroism. And
an hour's motor ride away were troops in the glow of that success which
is without comparison in its physical elation--the success of arms.

VII

OUT OF THE HOPPER OF BATTLE

An army of movement--Taking over the captured space--At Minden Post,
a crossroads of battle--German prisoners--Their desire to live--Their
variety--The ambulance line--The refuse from the hopper of
battle--Resting in the battle line--Reminiscences of the fighters--A
mighty crater--The dugouts around Fricourt--Method of taking a
dugout--The litter over the field.

When I went southward through that world of triumph back of Mametz and
Montauban I kept thinking of a strong man who had broken free of his
bonds and was taking a deep breath before another effort. Where from
Thiepval to Gommecourt the men who had expected to be organizing new
trenches were back in their old ones and the gunners who had hoped to
move their guns forward were in the same positions and all the plans for
supplying an army in advance were still on paper, to the southward
anticipation had become realization and the system devised to carry on
after success was being applied.

A mighty, eager industry pervaded the rear. Here, at last, was an army
of movement. New roads must be made in order that the transport could
move farther forward; medical corps men were establishing more advanced
clearing stations; new ammunition dumps were being located; military
police were adapting traffic regulations to the new situation. Old
trenches had been fille