"Poor old ---- must have lost himself," said the Major, referring to the
Senior Subaltern, "or he'd be here by now; he has a wonderful nose for
food."

However, half-way through the meal he came in, admitting that he had
lost himself, and wandered into another Regiment's lines.

After the meal they returned to their Platoons, and spent the usual
miserable night in their usual miserable way, cramped by the usual
miserable damp. Next morning the Regiment was moved further out, to the
top of the ridge, to protect the retreat of the remaining two Brigades
and their Transport Columns. Luckily the enemy was not in sufficient
force to drive this covering party in.

When the Division had got clear away, the Brigade resumed the column of
route formation, and the retreat was continued. Once again during the
morning a German Taube flew overhead. A violent fusillade broke out from
the road, from which the aeroplane suffered less than the men, as they
were in too close formation to fire properly. A vast quantity of
ammunition was wasted, and the position and strength of the column was
thus demonstrated to the airman. It was decided in future to hide as
completely as possible, whenever an enemy aeroplane hove in sight, and
not on any account to fire at it.

Later on a German patrol menaced the column, but, having forced it to
deploy in some measure, withdrew. The rest of the march passed
uneventfully, but the country became less flat than hitherto--an
addition to their trials!

He tried his French on the Battalion's interpreter, who in peace time