this feeling that a powerful, energetic, determined
foe was beating down our opposition and getting nearer and nearer. Yet,
whatever they may have felt, not one of our little band showed signs of
depression or nervous excitement. The signalling-sergeant was cursing
the sanitary orderly for not having cleared up a particular litter of
tins and empty cigarette packets; the officers' cook was peeling
potatoes for dinner, and I heard the old wheeler singing softly to
himself some stupid, old-time, music-hall ditty.

In the mess no one spoke a word, but each of us knew that our one
thought was whether A battery would be able to hold out.

5.30 P.M.: The answer, a grim and saddening one. A sergeant came
hurrying in.

"They've captured the battery, sir," he said bluntly, "and Major
Harville is killed. I came to report, sir. I was the only one to get
away."

I think sometimes of famous cases of tragedy and passion I have heard
unfolded at the Old Bailey and the Law Courts, and the intense, almost
theatrical atmosphere surrounding them, and compare it to the simple
setting of this story, told in matter-of-fact tones by a sergeant
standing to attention. "We finished all our ammunition, sir," he began,
addressing the colonel, "and took our rifles. Major Harville was shot
by a machine-gun while he was detailing us to defend the two gun-pits
farthest from the place where the enemy had got past our wire. He fell
into my gun-pit, sir, shot in the head. Mr Dawes, who took command,
said we would keep on with rifles, and Bombardier Clidstone was doing
fine work with his Lewis gun. The Huns didn't seem inclined to come
close, and after a conference in my gun-pit with Mr Bliss, Mr Dawes
asked for a volunteer to try and find the nearest infantry, and to tell
them we'd hold on if they could engage the enemy and prevent him
rushing us. I said I would try, and crawled on my belly, sir, through
the grass to an empty trench. The battery fired several fine volleys; I
heard them for a long time. It was slow work crawling away without
being seen, and when I had got 600 yards and was trying to get my
bearing--I don't know what time it was.

"Then I noticed that no firing came from the battery. There was no
sound at all for over ten minutes. Then about a hundred Germans rushed
forward and started bombing the gun-pits, and some of our men came up.
I saw about a dozen of them marched off as prisoners."

"You are quite sure Major Harville was ki