He was brought before the Mayor.  Evidence was briefly given of his guilt.  He made no protest.  It was stated that he had been born in the village.  The Mayor turned to the man and said—­

“You are a traitor.  It is clear.  Have you anything to say?”

The man stood white and straight.  Then he bowed his head and made answer—­

“Priez pour moi.”

That was no defence.  So they led him away.

The morning after I arrived at the 14th the Germans concentrated their fire on a large turnip-field and exhumed multitudinous turnips.  No further damage was done, but the field was unhealthily near the Estaminet de l’Epinette.  In the afternoon we moved our headquarters back a mile or so to a commodious and moderately clean farm with a forgettable name.

That evening two prisoners were brought in.  They owned to eighteen, but did not look more than sixteen.  The guard treated them with kindly contempt.  We all sat round a makeshift table in the loft where we slept and told each other stories of fighting and love and fear, while the boys, squatting a little distance away, listened and looked at us in wonder.  I came in from a ride about one in the morning and found those of the guard who were off duty and the two German boys sleeping side by side.  Literally it was criminal negligence—­some one ought to have been awake—­but, when I saw one of the boys was clasping tightly a packet of woodbines, I called it something else and went to sleep.

A day or two later I was relieved.  On the following afternoon I was sent to Estaires to bring back some details about the Lahore Division which had just arrived on the line.  I had, of course, seen Spahis and Turcos and Senegalese, but when riding through Lestrem I saw these Indian troops of ours the obvious thoughts tumbled over one another.

We despatch riders when first we met the Indians wondered how they would fight, how they would stand shell-fire and the climate—­but chiefly we were filled with a sort of mental helplessness, riding among people when we could not even vaguely guess at what they were thinking.  We could get no deeper than their appearance, dignified and clean and well-behaved.

In a few days I was back again at the 14th with Huggie.  At dusk the General went out in his car to a certain village about three miles distant.  Huggie went with him.  An hour or so, and I was sent after him with a despatch.  The road was almost unrideable with the worst sort of grease, the night was pitch-black and I was allowed no light.  I slithered along at about six miles an hour, sticking out my legs for a permanent scaffolding.  Many troops were lying down at the side of the road.  An officer in a strained voice just warned me in time for me to avoid a deep shell-hole by inches.  I delivered my despatch to the General.  Outside the house I found two or three officers I knew.  Two of them were young captains in command of battalions.  Then I learned how hard put to it the Division was, and what the result is of nervous strain.