he heart. He fainted, recovered his
senses for ten minutes, and kept two Huns at bay until he died, by which
time the trenches were reached.

Imagine yourself under fire in an aeroplane at 10,000 feet. Imagine that
only a second ago you were in the country of shadows. Imagine yourself
feeling giddy and deadly sick from loss of blood. Imagine what is left
of your consciousness to be stabbed insistently by a throbbing pain. Now
imagine how you would force yourself in this condition to grasp a
machine-gun in your numbed hand, pull back the cocking-handle, take
careful aim at a fast machine, allowing for deflection, and fire until
you sink into death. Some day I hope to be allowed to visit Valhalla for
half an hour, that I may congratulate Paddy and Uncle.

We refreshed ourselves with cold baths and hot breakfast. In the mess
the fights were reconstructed. Sudden silences were frequent--an
unspoken tribute to C. and the other casualties. But at lunch-time we
were cheered by the news that the first and second objectives had been
reached, that Martinpuich, Courcelette, and Flers had fallen, and that
the Tanks had behaved well.

After lunch I rested awhile before the long reconnaissance, due to start
at three. Six machines were detailed for this job; though a faulty
engine kept one of them on the ground. The observers marked the course
on their maps, and wrote out lists of railway stations. At 3.30 we set
off towards Arras.

Archie hit out as soon as we crossed to his side of the front. He was
especially dangerous that afternoon, as if determined to avenge the
German defeat of the morning. Each bus in turn was encircled by black
bursts, and each bus in turn lost height, swerved, or changed its course
to defeat the gunner's aim. A piece of H.E. hit our tail-plane, and
stayed there until I cut it out for a souvenir when we had returned.

The observers were kept busy with note-book and pencil, for the train
movement was far greater than the average, and streaks of smoke courted
attention on all the railways. Rolling stock was correspondingly small,
and the counting of the trucks in the sidings was not difficult. Road
and canal transport was plentiful. As evidence of the urgency of all
this traffic, I remarked that no effort at concealment was made. On
ordinary days, a German train always shut off steam when we approached;
and often I saw transport passing along the road one minute, and not
passing along the road the next. On