“I got on to their trenches; one shell dropped in. [It would appear from this that some of the advance guards of the new defense line were either intrenching or occupying trenches made during the battles of the Marne, probably the latter, or else the writer is speaking of the actions of his battery on the 10th as well as the 12th before the invaders had retreated across the Marne.] I was enfilading them, and they tore out of the trenches, and so on, each trench in turn, and fell in hundreds.  Also, through the range finder, ——­ saw I’d hit a machine gun, and they had abandoned it and another.  So it went all day, shells and bullets humming around, but only one of my staff horses was hit.  Our infantry advancing and retiring—­others advancing and coming back—­Germans doing likewise, a hellish din of shell fire, and me pouring in fire whenever I could see them.

“At last I got six shrapnel into a wood and cleared a heap of them out and got into them with shrapnel.  It was awful!  The sergeant major put his hand up to his head and said:  “Oh, sir, it’s terrible!” That seemed to settle them, and at last we saw the infantry advancing to their positions without resistance.

“Now was my chance.  I determined to get those machine guns if I could, as otherwise the infantry would.  So I left ——­ in command and got the trumpeter, sergeant major, and six men with six rifles, and went forward ‘to reconnoiter,’ as I reported to ——­ after I had gone.  It was a weird ride, through thick black woods, holding my revolver ready, going in front with the little trumpeter behind and the others following some way in the rear.  We passed some very bad sights, and knew the woods were full of Germans who were afraid to get away on account of the dreaded shell fire.  We got in front of our infantry, who were going to fire at us, but I shouted just in time.

“At last we came to the edge of a wood, and in front of us, about 200 yards away, was a little cup-shaped copse, and the enemy’s trenches with machine guns a little farther on.  I felt sure this wood was full of Germans, as I had seen them go in earlier.  I started to gallop for it, and the others followed.  Suddenly about fifty Germans bolted out, firing at us.  I loosed off my revolver as fast as I could, and ——­ loosed off his rifle from the saddle.  They must have thought we were a regiment of cavalry, for, except for a few, they suddenly yelled and bolted.  I stopped and dismounted my lot to fire at them, to make sure that they didn’t change their minds.

“I waited for a lull, and mounted all my lot behind the bushes and made them spring as I gave the word to gallop for cover to the woods where the Welsh company was.  There I got ——­, who understands them (the guns), and an infantryman who volunteered to help, and ——­ and I ran up to the Maxims and took out the breech mechanism of both and one of the belts, and carried away one whole Maxim.  We couldn’t manage the other.