and their shells were going well over our heads. And no more
French infantry were coming up.

9.20 A.M.: The two Horse Artillery batteries were away. Our teams and
limbers had come up, all except one team of C Battery. We waited for
the colonel to give the word.

Suddenly the "chug-chug-chug" of a motor-cycle: a despatch-rider from
Division! The colonel tore open the envelope. "A Battery ... Limber-up
and retire," he ordered; "B and D will follow."

"The French artillery has been stopped," he explained shortly. "We are
going to make the stand at Bethancourt, three miles farther back."

An officer of C Battery ran across to say that through the binoculars
grey forms could be seen in the belt of trees opposite.

The colonel's eyes gleamed. "Got any ammunition left after filling up
the limbers?" he asked quickly.

"Yes, sir--about fifty rounds."

"Right; give it 'em, and then pull out at once."

The officer saluted and hurried off. The colonel lighted a cigarette
and stood under a tree. "One of the most difficult things to decide
upon in war," he soliloquised, "is to know the exact moment at which to
retire."

The sharp crack of C's 18-pdrs. firing fifty rounds as fast as the guns
could be loaded. Then silence. Still no sign of the missing team of
horses. A corporal went by at the gallop to find out what had happened.

The colonel was now on the ridge searching the trees opposite with his
glasses. Three guns had been limbered up. Every other battery had gone.
The battery commander looked puzzled and annoyed. "The guns that are
ready can move off," said the colonel calmly. "An officer is to wait
here until the team arrives to take away the other gun."

Even as the three guns took the road the missing team and limber came
out of the village.

"The off-leader had cast a shoe, and they had to send back for the
farrier, sir," reported the corporal.

"Good," observed the colonel, "but some of you fellows will have to
remember that there's a war on, and put more 'nip' into your work."

IX. FASTER AND FASTER

11 A.M.: It needed cool counsels and a high and steadfast faith during
the next twenty-four hours. The sunken track along which our own and
other British Artillery brigades were retreating was full of ruts and
choked with dust, and we thanked our stars that the weather had held.
That road churned into the mud-slime to which a few hours' rain could
change it, would have become impassable for wheeled t