possible were sent forward to the men, together with many pounds of
biscuits which he brought from a shop, and buckets of water for the
wounded.

So busy had he been that he had almost been unable to interest himself
in the battle which was already beginning to develop on the left. While
he was in the village a stretcher was carried through. The body on it
was covered with a mackintosh sheet, but the man's face was visible, and
if he had not been so busily occupied, the ashen face might have upset
him a little. It was absolutely calm, and its expression was contorted
neither by pain nor hate nor fear--the face of one who was indifferent,
and very, very weak.

With that he returned to the trenches. "'Ere yer are, sir, I've started
this 'un for yer," one man shouted. He threw off his equipment, and
began to dig as he had never dug before. Each spadeful was safety for
another inch of his body. It was fighting against time for protection of
life and limb. The work was engrossing, exhilarating. Some of the men
were too tired, too apathetic, too lazy to dig trenches as deep as they
might have done. They had to be urged, cajoled, enticed, ordered.

The day was beautiful, hotter a great deal than those the men were
accustomed to. The Senior Subaltern had been occupying a small hut as an
advanced post. The enemy came within his range in some force, but having
the presence of mind to restrain his men from firing, he managed to
withdraw without loss. All the while the cavalry were being rapidly
driven in.

This was about three o'clock, and the sound of a terrific bombardment
could be heard from some miles to the left. This puzzled them, as it was