ar as possible, and dived for the lines. These we passed at a great
pace, but we did not shake off Archie until well on the right side, for
at our low altitude the high-angle guns had a large radius of action
that could include us. However, the menacing coughs finally ceased to
annoy, and our immediate troubles were over. The strain snapped, the air
was an exhilarating tonic, the sun was warmly comforting, and everything
seemed attractive, even the desolated jumble of waste ground below us. I
opened a packet of chocolate and shared it with V., who was trying hard
to fly evenly with an uneven rudder. I sang to him down the
speaking-tube, but his nerves had stood enough for the day, and he
wriggled the machine from one side to the other until I became silent.
Contrariwise to the last, our engine recovered slightly now that its
recovery was not so important, and it behaved well until it seized up
for better or worse when we had landed.

From the aerodrome the pilots proceeded to tea and a bath, while we, the
unfortunate observers, copied our notes into a detailed report,
elaborated the sketches of the new aerodromes, and drove in our unkempt
state to Headquarters, there to discuss the reconnaissance with
spotlessly neat staff officers. At the end of the report one must give
the height at which the job was done, and say whether the conditions
were favourable or otherwise for observation. I thought of the absence
of thick clouds or mist that might have made the work difficult. Then I
thought of the cylinder that missed and the chunk of rudder that was
missing, but decided that these little inconveniences were unofficial.
And the legend I felt in duty bound to write was: "Height 5,000-10,000
ft. Observation easy."

CHAPTER V.

THERE AND BACK.

An inhuman philosopher or a strong, silent poseur might affect to treat
with indifference his leave from the Front. Personally I have never met
a philosopher inhuman enough or a poseur strongly silent enough to
repress evidence of wild satisfaction, after several months of war at
close quarters, on being given a railway warrant entitling him to ten
days of England, home, and no duty. But if you are a normal soldier who
dislikes fighting and detests discomfort, the date of your near-future
holiday from the dreary scene of war will be one of the few problems
that really matter.

Let us imagine a slump in great pushes at your sector of the line, since
only during the interval