bombarding
the outer forts, and once there came a loud explosion and a red glare
as if a magazine had suffered.

It was a sound I had not heard for five months, and it fairly crazed
me. I remembered how I had first heard it on the ridge before
Laventie. Then I had been half-afraid, half-solemnized, but every
nerve had been quickened. Then it had been the new thing in my life
that held me breathless with anticipation; now it was the old thing,
the thing I had shared with so many good fellows, my proper work, and
the only task for a man. At the sound of the guns I felt that I was
moving in natural air once more. I felt that I was coming home.

We were stopped at a long line of ramparts, and a German sergeant
stared at us till he saw the lieutenant beside me, when he saluted and
we passed on. Almost at once we dipped into narrow twisting streets,
choked with soldiers, where it was hard business to steer. There were
few lights--only now and then the flare of a torch which showed the
grey stone houses, with every window latticed and shuttered. I had put
out my headlights and had only side lamps, so we had to pick our way
gingerly through the labyrinth. I hoped we would strike Sandy's
quarters soon, for we were all pretty empty, and a frost had set in
which made our thick coats seem as thin as paper.

The lieutenant did the guiding. We had to present our passports, and I
anticipated no more difficulty than in landing from the boat at
Boulogne. But I wanted to get it over, for my hunger pinched me and it
was fearsome cold. Still the guns went on, like hounds baying before a
quarry. The city was out of range, but there were strange lights on
the ridge to the east.

At last we reached our goal and marched through a fine old carved
archway into a courtyard, and thence into a draughty hall.

'You must see the _Sektionschef_,' said our guide. I looked round to
see if we were all there, and noticed that Hussin had disappeared. It
did not matter, for he was not on the passports.

We followed as we were directed through an open door. There was a man
standing with his back towards us looking at a wall map, a very big man
with a neck that bulged over his collar. I would have known that neck
among a million. At the sight of it I made a half-turn to bolt back.
It was too late, for the door had closed behind us and there were two
armed sentries beside it.

The man slewed round and looked into my eyes. I had a despa