God of Battle! God of Right!
Guard and guide Thy troops this night!
Steps and voices were coming behind me. Instantly I woke up and drew into deeper shadow, and stood there several moments while the shuffling sounds came forward. They proved to be a stretcher party, arriving painfully round the bend in the path.
There was a difficult place, where the ground sloped abruptly; but with much tenderness the Red Cross men lifted their burdens past. I left the path altogether for them to file by, and they did so—a sorrowful, halting procession—one lying here with torn shoulder, one here with a vast bloody wrap about his face, one here with shattered feet—so they went by silent and still, with closed eyes and grey faces.
After them shambled a numerous crowd with bandaged arms, and legs bound up, talking in low tones and smoking cigarettes. I heard a thin voice say, “Don’t think much of these smokes; but a bloke’ll take on anything here.” After followed a gruff voice. “Blarsted bad luck getting put out second day. Corporal Davis got outed altogether: you know ’im, a big bouncing brute in D Company. ’E got a bullet through the heart, and jumped about ten foot in the air.” And then a third voice. “I got three in the arm from a swine of a machine gun. Aching like Hell!” So from the trenches they came, and passed to the Red Cross station on the beach.
My hour was up, the watch over; gladly I hurried off and pulled my relief out of bed. Next minute the blankets were over me, and I was falling asleep.
CHAPTER XI
ACTION FRONT
Faintest dawn climbed over the bay as I woke up in the morning. I opened one eye and then the other, and took courage and propped myself on an elbow. It was nearly dark; but already the beach showed life and movement, and vague battleships were taking up new stations out at sea. Nobody near by seemed awake, the bushes looked empty and rather mysterious; but far off the everlasting musketry went on—dying, growing, and dying away again. I took a long look round until courage failed me, when back I went under the blanket.