"Here's a pioneer section just arrived, sir," reported Sergeant Alderhame. "If you saw the company commander perhaps he would spare enough men to help us dig a way out. It won't take much work, I think. The rubble has been well sifted by the bursting charge."
The officer readily consented to assist in the salvage operations. After all, the Tank had settled on the floor of the cellar, which was about eight feet below the ground-level. Before she had come to a standstill she had given forward for nearly five yards, and the whole of this space was now filled in with bricks and mortar, forming a fairly steep gradient.
Working strenuously for twenty minutes the fatigue party succeeded in levelling the slope sufficiently to enable the Tank to back. Fortunately, the motors and tractor-bands were intact. The mounting of one of the quickfirers was damaged beyond repair, the other was put in order by the crew.
Amidst the cheers of the men the Tank climbed, stern-foremost, out of her place of imprisonment and gained the shell-pitted street.
An orderly, doubling towards the British lines, stopped by the side of the freed machine.
"Can you push forward, sir?" he asked. "The infantry are being held up. There are only five Tanks left in action."
CHAPTER XX
THE FALL OF THE VON DER GOLZ REDOUBT
"On clearing the other end of the captured village of Néancourt Ralph was able to form a fairly comprehensive idea of the present state of operations.