lled?" asked the colonel
quietly.

"Yes, sir; he fell right in my gun-pit."

We all stood silent, looking on the ground. Poor Harville! The phrase
that kept running in my mind was, "One of the best," but with a
different meaning to that in which generally it is used. A gallant
upright soul. The very best type of the civilian soldier who fought
this war for England. Before the war a professional man who had given
no thought to fighting: when he became a soldier it was because he
understood thoroughly, and believed in completely, all that for which
he was ready to give his life.

A clean-living, truly religious man too, who loathed loose talk and
swearing, and lived up to his ideals even amid the slime and filth of
war. And his bravery was that of the honest man who fears and yet faces
danger, not the bull-headed heroism of the "man who knows no fear."
Poor Harville!

The sergeant spoke again.

"Before I came back here, sir, after the enemy had marched off our men,
B Battery turned their guns on the Germans in A Battery's position."

"Did they?" said the colonel, his face lighting up. "Splendid!"

"Yes, sir; they fired well, a hundred rounds, I should think. They
scattered all the Germans, sir: they ran like mad."

We had given up hope of ever hearing again of the two sniping guns
sited just behind the original front line, C's 18-pdr. and D's 4.5 how.
They were at least 2000 yards in front of the ill-fated A Battery, and
must have been captured. What was our surprise then to note the
arrival, at a slow easy walk, of the sergeant of D Battery who had been
in charge of the 4.5 howitzer. He reported that the detachments had
come away safely at 5.45 P.M., and before doing so had "spiked" both
guns, and so left their enemy useless booty. It was such an orderly
account of action, taken strictly according to drill-book procedure,
that I have pieced it together in this form:--

2.30 A.M. A few shells falling.

4.30 A.M. Intense hostile bombardment begun. Officer at O.P.
ordered detachments to man guns.

4.32 A.M. Fired on two targets on orders from O.P.

Noon. Communication with O.P. broke down.

12.30 P.M. Attempt to mend O.P. wire failed, as it was too badly
cut by shell fire.

1 P.M. The sergeant of D Battery went away to try and discover the
situation and to obtain orders.

2 P.M. The sergeant found the men in neighbourhood of O.P. Officer
obviously killed or a prisoner. Enemy