ore than
half an hour. We finally got him started by calling his attention to the
spent balls, which make a tremendous singing noise, but do no harm. The
only really safe thing in the neighbourhood was what did the trick. The
Germans were making a furious attack, evidently determined to break the
line before the fresh troops could be brought up, and the cannonading
was terrific. The whole front as far as we could see in either direction
was a line of puffs of smoke from bursting shrapnel and black spouts of
earth from exploding shells. The crackle of the _mitrailleuses_ rippled
up and down the whole line. The Belgians were pounding back as hard as
they could and the noise was deafening. Finally, when we decided to
leave, the officer in command of the battery loaded all five guns at
once and fired a salvo for our benefit. The great shells tore away,
roaring like so many express trains, and screaming like beasts in
agony--a terrifying combination. My ears ache yet. It was getting hotter
every minute and the Germans were evidently getting a better idea of the
range, for the shells began falling pretty close on the other side, and
I was quieter in my mind when we went back to our cars and pulled out of
the actual line. We took a road a few hundred yards back, parallel with
the lines, and drove along slowly, watching the effect of the shell
fire, until we absolutely had to start back for lunch. On the way we
stopped at a peasant's hut, and said hello to Jack Reyntiens.

When we got back to the hotel, about half an hour late for lunch, we
found the Prime Minister waiting for us. At the door, in addition to the
usual sentry, there were two privates of the _chasseurs a cheval_, one
wearing a commander's star of the Legion of Honor. They saluted and
smiled, and I bowed and went on in to my meal. They came in after me,
still smiling, and I was taxed with not recognising them. They were the
Duc d'Ursel and --------, the heads of their respective houses, who had
enlisted, and are still fighting as privates. They had just been
relieved and were on their way to the rear, where the Belgian army is
being reformed and rested.

As soon as we had got through, I had to start back for my audience of
the Queen. W.---- took me out to la Panne, where we found the Villa on
the sand dunes, a little way back of the lines. There were a couple of
gendarmes on duty, the King's Secretary, and the Countess de
Caraman-Chimay, the one Lady-in-Waiting.