With Haig on the Somme

in for a Taste o

round in the air and dropped half a dozen yards away, as its

still holding him tightly; but there was no madne

kinds of an utter idiot!" yelled Dennis. "I know tha

ed their grip and fell

ossibly to tell that? Perhaps it's not too late now!" And he bound

No Man's Land, and then as Captain Bob came hurrying up, blowing his whistle for all he was worth to recall the re

Dennis and Dan, both speaking at

ousand pities the skunk got clear! Well, it's no use crying over

hurricane of shells began to burst on the German front line trench and the ground beyon

nnis. "One can't help hear

it is the beginning of the artillery preparation, which will continue day and night with

guns of every kind and calibre blended in one infernal concert, wh

hey are to-night," said the Australian corporal. "Hall

over the sandbags, trembling like a leaf, and Dennis saw that it was in

thousand. Himmel! Look! This was my company!" And he lifted his quivering hands as he saw the litter of corpses that filled the trench from side to side. "We are told that you kill all prisoners and

to the rear, when another "brass hat" came along the trench-the genuine article this time, an

dle in spite of the grey hairs which mingled with his brown mousta

, after a perfunctory glance about him through a gold-rimmed monocle went back again to headquarters, "having seen nothing and learned nothing." General Dashwood knew that he had a

ioned the deserter closely, turning to his brigade

t, and I want someone to go to Divisional Headquarters with a message. You'll be back at your post by daylight," and, after picking his way along the trench to the far end and examining the German line carefully th

ve enjoyed my visit. When you look me up I hope we shall be able to

and the brigade-major, Bob carried Dan into their dug-out,

under the lee of a rising bank which had so far preserved them from the German shells

said Dashwood senior with a dry smile. "But you will find a box on

n one wall, some British warms and mackintoshes hung on pegs, a couple of field bedsteads, whose disarranged blankets sh

uld not help catching some of the report as his father paced backwards

lantry, and scarcely a man of the enemy was left alive. The bodies were lying six deep when I visited the position. Some confusion was caused by a German in British staff uniform making his way along the trench shouting 'Retire!' but I have the honour to report that through the initiative of Second-Lieutenant Dashwood,

tingling all over him. It seemed like eavesdropping to listen any more, but he knew that

dment which, as Bob had said, was to go on night and day. He was watching the shrapnel bursting in the distance far over the German lines

r," said the man, and Dennis stepp

visional Headquarters. There are a couple of motor-cycles standi

ase and tracing the route Dennis would have to follow. "And here, at this point, the supply column got it rather

, sir, on my return

and rejoin your company. I could have 'phoned this, bu

e the youngster out of danger, if it were only for a few hours, but as Dennis swung into the sadd

s without difficulty, shutting off his engine only just in time as

achine had sustained no injury, but it took him a good five m

sted by them without much difficulty, until at last a red lantern gleamin

us brigade commanders' reports arrived, and a telegraphic operator in a she

ommanding the division, a florid officer with a white moustache, who held the

l Dashwood?" he inquired suddenly

arry a query for me to the officer commanding the brigade on the right of the division," he said. "There is something I do not quite unders

, and the general turne

d type it out quickly," he said, a

o reach Donaldson," and the staff captain took the young lieutenant to the large scale map at

nd in less than five minutes from entering the room he was