ht out of
every house they were in.

A Belgian Colonel rode past us, trying to look unaware that he was
retreating. He shouted to us to clear out of it. This was the only sign
of interest that he showed.

Somebody else came up to Jevons and told him that there were three or
four wounded men somewhere inside the Town Hall, but that the place was
on fire and it was absolutely impossible to get them out. He advised us
to pick up the men who were lying in the street, and clear out.

I saw Jevons nod his head as if he agreed and consented. I saw him get
out of the car. And then I heard Kendal say, "Give us a hand, sir," and I
turned to my stretchers.

When I looked round again Jevons was running towards the Town Hall. The
man who had told us to pick up our wounded and clear out was looking
after him with a face of the most perfect horror.

Kendal and I followed with the stretchers, and we saw Jevons run up the
steps of the Town Hall. He turned at the top of the steps and waved to us
to keep back.

Then he went through the big doors between the pillars.

There was a crash and a roar as if the whole building had fallen in. It
was the top story plunging to the second floor. The upper half of the
Town Hall was like a crate filled with blazing straw. The Greek pediment
was the only solid thing that subsisted in that fire.

Then the first floor was caught. It burned more slowly.

Kendal and I and the ambulance men ran forward with the stretchers. And
Jimmy came through the doors carrying a wounded Frenchman. He went in
again and came out with another Frenchman.

(The ground floor had begun to burn behind him.)

He went in a third time and came out with Reggie Thesiger.

He must have had to go further into the hall to find him, for it was a
much longer business. We, Kendal and I, were down the street by the
ambulance when they came out, and I didn't see that it was Reggie till I
heard Kendal say, "Sir, that's Major Thesiger he's got!"

Reggie's arm was round Jimmy's shoulder and Jimmy's arm was round
Reggie's waist. He half carried, half supported him. He came out in the
middle of a cloud of smoke that hid him. The smoke was followed by a
burst of fire and another crash and roar as the ceiling of the first
story plunged to the ground floor.

With all this going on behind him Jevons paused on the top of the steps
to readjust his burden to the descent. We heard afterwards that Reggie
had said, "You'd better leave me,