“It may amuse you,” he said.  “You see, I have been busy as a destroyer.”

It was a record of the blowing up of bridges, and the words had been scribbled into a small note-book on the way of retreat.  In its brevity this narrative of a sergeant of sappers is more eloquent than long descriptions in polished prose.  One passage in it seemed to me almost incredible; the lines which tell of a German aviator who took a tiny child with him on his mission of death.  But a man like this, whose steel-blue eyes looked into mine with such fine frankness, would not put a lie into his note-book, and I believed him.  I reproduce the document now as I copied it away from the gaze of a French officer who suspected this breach of regulations: 

August 25.  Started for St. Quentin and arrived in evening.  Our section set out again next morning for a point twelve kilometres behind, at Montescourt-Lezeroulles, in order to mine a bridge.  We worked all the night and returned to St. Quentin, where we did reconnaissance work.

August 27.  Germans signalled and station of St. Quentin evacuated.

We were directed to maintain order among the crowd who wished to go away.  It was a very sad spectacle, all the women and children weeping and not enough trains to save them.

At last we go away, and destroy line and station of Essigny-le-Grand and at Montescourt, where we destroy bridge already mined.

Arrive in afternoon at Tergnier.  Sleep there, and set out on afternoon of 28th for Chauny and Noyon.

August 29 (morning).  We receive order to go back to Tergnier, the Germans having succeeded in piercing British lines.  We pass Montescourt, and arrive Jussy, where the bridge of the canal being blown up, we hold up Germans momentarily.  Coming from Tergnier, we were ordered to destroy bridges and stations of the line, which is main line to Paris.

Work in the evening to sound of cannon.  It is pitiable to see the miserable people on the road with their boxes and children.

In the afternoon set out for Chauny, in direction of Compiegne, where we arrive in the evening.  All along the line were scattered the poor people.  We have twelve on our waggon, and let them eat our food.  We had our own provisions, and we gave them to these people.

August 30 (Sunday).  Stationed at Compiegne awaiting orders.  One hears more clearly the sound of the cannon.  After the news this morning I write a line.  It appears that the Germans have been destroyed at St. Quentin.

To-day we have assisted at a duel between a biplane and an aeroplane.  I had nearest me the German aeroplane, which fell in the English lines.  The officer in charge with it had with him a child of six years old, who was also a German.  They were only wounded.

After St. Quentin were with the English troops under the orders of the English Headquarters Staff.

The rumours which tell of German defeats must be false, because the English troops retire, and we evacuate Longuart, where we destroy the station and the railway lines.