WAR- CHRONICLE

36
hour, then got our supper and had to turn out again. When we
came to our stand, 3 big cocks of straw, our lieut. missed the second
section. "Corporal, go back and fetch the second section."
The whole way back,—all lay sound asleep in bivouac—Papa knows
what that means, what a reception you get from a soldier when
you wake him up suddenly. But after half an hour I managed to
find out from the corporal on duty, that the second section had
other orders. Back again all alone. A young goat trotted after
ine all the way. It had gone out with the rifle-men, turned back
with me, and now returned with me. 1 did not want it—but no
use—it took no notice of either a hit or a kick and made me furious
running along after me on the moon-lit road, whenever I stopped,
knocking against my shins. Of course I went wrong, lost my direction
and failed to find the straw ricks in the moon-light and
saw myself and my goat in the hands of the English out-posts, when
suddenly I heard the call: "Halt, wer da?" That was music in m\
cars. It was one of our squadron's outposts and after a quarter of
an hour I was with our rifles. It was 3.15 a. m. At 4 o'clock I
was awakened by loud machine gun firing quite near. I listened
and then fell asleep again. At 6 a.m. it began. First in the village,
which we had taken the day before, exept for a few farmhouses,
the rifles and two sections made for the farmhouses, we were kept
in reserve in a barn. Here I heard the cause of the machine gun
firing. In the morning the English had attacked the rifles' outposts
with great shouting to mark a splendid attack. They ran against a
company of machine guns—and got their deserts. The farms were
stormed and burned down, only one resisted. It was a large
farmyard with massive outside- walls, several buildings inside. It
was impossible to get at it. The English were right under the roof
and fired on whoever came in sight. Well, we pushed on pioneers with
handbombs. We had infantry reinforcements, till they got their position
and now Old England began to give way. The infantry and rifles showered
the flying British with shot. Machine guns were fired from the garret
windows, and chimneys. We were ordered to cover the right firing
line, as it was impossible to proceed here on account of the farmyard.
While the whole line pressed forward at a terrific rate (in spite of
the enemy's artillery side-fire) we had to remain lying down with
English bullets whizzing over our heads. As long as we lay flat,
they could hardly harm us. At last the pioneers came, and soon
the outer part of the yard was in flames. But from the intact parts
•of the house the enemy shot with great bravery at whoever came
in sight. It was going on too long, something had to be done. At
length we decided to close in the whole yard and blow up the
house, the pioneers chased off on bicycles for fresh shells. We were
posted at all the gates. 1 and my 6 men at one of the entrances,
with cocked guns, watching and waiting for a number of English
to break through at any moment, our eyes, noses and mouths full
•of smoke—soft rain from heaven—we stood like this for about