feeling of affection on one's limbs, and wonders, "Where shall I get
it?" Subconsciously one is amused and a little ashamed of such
concessions to sentimentality. The best thing to do under the
circumstances is to go and check the range-finders' figures, or prepare
the headlines of a message or two.

* * * * *

A Taube, like some huge insect with a buzz of whirring wings, flew
overhead, dropping multi-coloured stars from its tail. Then our guns
"opened the ball."

There was something blatant and repulsive about that first burst of
sound. The ferns of the forest shivered, as if awakened from a sunny
dream to face terrible calamities. The trees seemed to shake with a
delicate fear of what was in store for them. The enemy's fire burst upon
them with a startling intensity.

There was no point in holding the advanced edge of the wood under such a
bombardment until the actual appearance of the enemy infantry made it
necessary, so the whole line was retired some fifty yards into the wood.
By this manoeuvre the Colonel lost no advantage, and must have saved
many lives.

Although artillery fire had been a pretty frequent occurrence, this was
the heaviest the men had yet experienced. The noise was ear-splitting;
the explosions filled the quivering air; the ground seemed to shudder
beneath them. Branches fell crashing to the ground; it seemed as if a
god was flogging the tree-tops with a huge scourge. The din was awful,
petrifying, numbing.