ran across my road; an attack was
feared at dawn, and a first line of reserves were in occupation. I
stumbled upon the men. They were sitting well down, their heads lower
than the parapet, and all seemed to be smoking if I could form (p. 167)
judgment by the line of little glow-worm fires, the lighted cigarette
ends that extended out on either hand. Somebody was humming a music-hall
song, while two or three of his mates helped him with the chorus.

"Halt! who goes there?"

The challenge was almost a whisper, and a bayonet slid out from the
trench and paused irresolutely near my stomach.

"A London Irish orderly going down to the village," I answered.

A voice other than that which challenged me spoke: "Why are you alone,
there should be two."

"I wasn't aware of that."

"Pass on," said the second voice, "and be careful, it's not altogether
healthy about here."

Somewhere in the proximity of the village I lost the brick path and
could not find it again. For a full hour I wandered over the sodden
fields under shell fire, discovering the village, a bulk of shadows
thinning into a jagged line of chimneys against the black sky when the
shells exploded, and losing it again when the darkness settled down
around me. Eventually I stumbled across the road and breathed freely
for a second.

But the enemy's fire would not allow me a very long breathing (p. 168)
space, it seemed bent on battering the village to pieces. In front of
me ran a broken-down wall, behind it were a number of houses and not a
light showing. The road was deserted.

A shell exploded in mid-air straight above, and bullets sang down and
shot into the ground round me. Following it came the casing splinters
humming like bees, then a second explosion, the whizzing bullets and
the bees, another explosion....

"Come along and get out of it," I whispered to myself, and looked
along the road; a little distance off I fancied I saw a block of
buildings.

"Run!"

I ran, "stampeded!" is a better word, and presently found myself
opposite an open door. I flung myself in, tripped, and went prostrate
to the floor.

Boom! I almost chuckled, thinking myself secure from the shells that
burst overhead. It was only when the bees bounced on the floor that I
looked up to discover that the house was roofless.

I made certain that the next building had a roof before I entered. It
also had a door, this I shoved open and found myself amongst a (p. 169)
nu