hey had orders to alight.

It was now early morning, and after breakfast they were formed in
marching order. Tom took but little notice of the country through
which they marched, except that they were on a straight road, which was
paved in the middle. As the day advanced the sun grew hot and
scorching, but the men marched on uncomplainingly; there was little
merriment, but much thought. Presently noon came, and again they
stopped for food, after which there was another march. By this time
Tom realised that he was indeed in the zone of war. He saw what looked
to him miles of motor waggons filled with food and munitions, numbers
of ambulance waggons marked with the Red Cross. More than one body of
horse soldiers passed him, and again he saw numbers of men bivouacked
near him; but everywhere there were soldiers, soldiers. Tom could not
understand it, it was all so different from what he expected, neither
could he see any order or purpose in that which was taking place around
him. There was activity and movement everywhere, but he could
co-ordinate nothing, he was simply bewildered.

Towards evening there was another resting-time, and each man gladly
threw himself full length on the grass. For a moment there was a
silence, then Tom heard a sound which gave him a sickening sensation;
he felt a sinking, too, at the pit of his stomach: it was the boom,
boom, boom of guns.

"Look at yon' airship in the sky!" cried one of the men. Each eye was
turned towards it, then they heard the boom of guns again, after which
there were sheets of fire around the aeroplane, and afterwards little
clouds of smoke formed themselves.

"I am getting near at last," thought Tom. "I wonder now--I wonder----"

CHAPTER V

Tom discovered presently that his destination was the Ypres salient,
one of the most "unhealthy" places, to use the term in favour among the
soldiers, in the whole of the English battle line. Here the most
tremendous battle ever fought in our British Army took place--indeed
one of the most tremendous battles in the history of the world. A
sergeant who was in a garrulous mood described it to Tom with a great
deal of spirit.

"Yes," he said, "you have come to an unhealthy spot; still it may be
good for you. The blessed Huns thought they were going to break
through here about last September when the battle of Wipers was fought.
They had six hundred thousand men to our hundred and fifty thousand.
Then that blo