High shrapnel was now bursting, several pieces whistling very unpleasantly near.
"Let's get under shelter of the trees," said the Brigade Major, "the trunks will give us a lot of cover."
We made a run for it, and reached them safely, and, gently drawing near the outer edge, I was in full view of St. Quentin.
The Cathedral loomed up with great prominence—and shrapnel was exploding near the tower.
"That's to keep the Hun observers down," he said. "We are not, of course, shelling the place to damage it at all. Those fires you can see there are of Bosche making; he is systematically burning the place as a prelude to retreat. My Intelligence officer says that the Palace of Justice and the theatre are well alight, and airmen declare the town quite empty; they flew over it yesterday only about two hundred feet above the house-tops and they were not fired at once. Seems to me they've evacuated the populace entirely."
"Jove," I said, "the French are letting them have it over there," pointing in the distance.
"That is, of course, south of the town, very nearly running due east and west—it's an excellent barrage—and all H.E., too."
I soon got my camera into action and, carefully concealing the tripod behind a tree trunk or rather a little to one side, I began exposing.
The firing was very heavy. I continued exposing on various sections which gave me the most comprehensive idea of barrage fire.
"The French are bang up against the 'Hindenburg' line there, and it's pretty deep in wire—as you know," said my guide, "but I think they will manage it all right; it's only a matter of time. Hullo! they are 'strafing' their confounded guns again with H.E. Look out! keep down!" And keep down we did. "Those 5·9 of brother Fritz's are not very kind to one; we had better stay for a few minutes; he may catch us crossing the field."