As he went away Captain Campbell looked after him rather anxiously.
“Never would have thought he could be so upset,” he mused. “He’ll be in hospital, if——”
Straight back to Brielen the Colonel walked, and there he met his orderly with the horses. He mounted without a word, and rode on, through Vlamertinghe, until he reached Popheringe. There he dismounted.
“I shall be some time,” he said to the orderly.
He went through the square, up the noisy street leading to the Vehrenstraat, and along it, until he reached a little shop, in which were still a few flowers. He entered, and a frightened-looking woman came to serve him.
“I want three red roses,” he said.
It took the saleswoman several minutes to understand, but finally she showed him what she had. The roses were not in their first bloom, but they were large and red. The Colonel had them done up, and left carrying them carefully. The rest of his time he spent in repairing as well as might be the ravages of battle on his clothes and person. At 4.20 he was again at the dressing-station.
A quiet-voiced padre awaited him there, a tall, ascetic-looking man, with the eyes of a seer.
They carried the bundles on the stretcher to the graves, three among many, just behind the dressing-station.
“Almighty God, as it has pleased Thee to take the souls of these, our dear brothers ...” the sonorous voice read on, while the C.O. stood, bare-headed, at the head of the graves, holding in his hand the three red roses. The short burial service came to an end.