"That's good. It will be a minute or two before this wretched thing is in working order."
Just then there was a burst of rifle fire from the enemy. The windows were shattered. One of the men dropped his rifle and shouted.
"Get out and back to our lines," called the officer, seeing that he was hors de combat. "Take his rifle, will you?" he added to Kenneth. "For goodness' sake don't go near the window."
Kenneth picked up the rifle and hurried to a loophole. From the volume of the enemy's fire it was clear that the assailants were a very numerous body, and it struck him as madness for five men to attempt to hold the place. He ventured to say so.
"Done at last!" said the lieutenant. "What was that you said? ... All right" (he spoke through the telephone). "Infantry advancing. No sign of battery.... Hold it! Of course we must. If they get here they can see our battery from the roof. Besides, if we can hold them off until the battalion comes up we couldn't have a better defensive position than the wall and ditch in front.... Gad! that's bad."
A shell had burst on the slope between the cottage and the road, clear of the infantry advancing farther to the right.
"Take my glasses," continued the lieutenant, "go well to the left, and see if you can spot the direction when the next shell comes." In low distinct tones he spoke into the bell of the receiver: "Enemy firing line about 700 yards below crest, range say 5200."
Another shell burst about a hundred yards to the left of the cottage.
"See the flash?" asked the officer, with the receiver at his ear.
"No."