ichael and Fort Belleville, which were barking
steadily and giving off jets of black smoke. The German cannonade sounded
like a distant roar. The shelling of Verdun was continuing.

Three hundred shells a day had been hurled into Verdun itself during the
battle, Stubbs was informed by the French officer, upon one day as many
as 750 having been counted; but the average was 300. As the two stood
there a French aeroplane was attacked by a German gun, shrapnel bursting
all around as the machine turned from the German positions and darted
back to French cover.

The terrible course of the destruction was pointed out by the French
officer. The town itself had been abandoned by the civil population,
and even few troops were to be found there. Such shops and houses as
had escaped the shells were closed and barricaded; and the shells
continued to fall.

The streets were crumbling ruins, with only jagged walls remaining here
and there. The cathedral had two shell holes in the roof; the main altar
was a mass of debris and the side altar was littered with broken
carvings, statues and chandeliers.

One wing of the handsome military club was torn off and the whole
establishment was a wreck. The archbishop's residence had its famous
sculptured walls peppered with shell holes and the adjoining College of
Marguerite had its delicate stone filigree reduced almost to powder.
The houses along the Meuse, flanking the principal bridge, were
literally wrecked.

Sixteen great shells had struck the town hall; one corner of the building
had been torn off and the clock tower smashed. The mayor's office was
being used as an emergency butcher shop.

Stubbs' guide now led him to one of the inner forts of the
fortifications, which was still shelling the Germans. From here Stubbs
gained a view of the fighting ground of Fleury at close range. Over the
entrance of the fort was a notice to the garrison that the fort was to be
levelled in extremity and never surrendered.

Fleury, lying to the right of Verdun, showed not a house standing. The
great German guns had carried all before them. The whole village was a
mass of ruins. At the moment the village was in the hands of the French.
It had been occupied twice by the Germans, but only the day before had
again been captured by the French. Although Stubbs did not know it, the
little village was to change hands a score of times more in the months
that were to follow.

As Stubbs' guide pointed out the