CHAPTERXVII

chapterxvii

gen.sirnevillemacreadywasadjutant-generalinthedaysofsirjohnfrench,andidinedathismessonceortwice,andhecametooursonreturnvisits.thesonofmacready,theactor,hehadasubtletyofmindnotcommonamongbritishgenerals,towhom“subtlety”inanyformisrepulsive.hissenseofhumorwasdevelopeduponlinesofironyandhehadaslytwinkleinhiseyesbeforetellingoneofhisinnumerableanecdotes.theyweregoodstories,andirememberoneofthem,whichhadtodowiththeretreatfrommons.itwasnot,totellthetruth,that“orderly”retreatwhichisdescribedinsecond-handaccounts.thereweretimeswhenitwasawildstampedefromthetighteningloopofagermanadvance,withlorriesandmotor-cyclesandtransportwagonsgoinghelter-skelteramongcivilianrefugeesandmixedbattalionsandlersfromeveryunitwalking,footsore,insmallgroups.evengeneralheadquarterswasflurriedattimes,farinadvanceofthisprocessionbackward.onenightsirnevillemacready,withthejudgeadvocateandanofficernamedcolonelchilds(ahot-headedfellow!),tookuptheirquartersinafrenchchateausomewhere,ithink,intheneighborhoodofcreil.thecommander-in-chiefwasinanotherchateausomedistanceaway.otherbranchesofg.h.q.werebilletedinprivatehouses,widelyscatteredaboutalingvillage.

colonelchildswaswritingoppositetheadjutant-general,whowasworkingsilently.presentlychildslookedup,listened,andsaid:

“it'sratherquiet,sir,outside.”

“somuchthebetter,”growledgeneralmacready.“getonwithyourjob.”

aquarterofanhourpassed.norumbleoftrafficpassedbythewindows.nogun-wagonswerejoltingoverfrenchpave.

colonelchildslookedupagainandlistened.

“it'sdamnedquietoutside,sir.”

“well,don'tgomakinganoise,”saidthegeneral,“can'tyouseei'mbusy?”

“ithinki'lljusttakeaturnround,”saidcolonelchilds.

hefeltuneasy.somethinginthesilenceofthevillagescaredhim.hewentoutintotheroadwayandwalkedtowardsirjohnfrench'squarters.therewasnochallengefromasentry.thebritishexpeditionaryforceseemedtobesleeping.theyneededsleep—poorars!—butthegermansdidnotletthemtakemuch.

colonelchildswentintothecommander-in-chief'schateauandfoundasoldierinthefronthall,lickingoutajam-pot.

“where'sthecommander-in-chief?”askedtheofficer.

“gonehoursago,sir,”saidthesoldier.“iwasleftbehindforlackoftransport.fromwhatihearthegermansoughttobeherebynow.iratherfancyiheardsomeshotsprettycloseawhileago.”

colonelchildswalkedbacktohisownquartersquickly.hemadenoapologyforinterruptingtheworkoftheadjutant-general.

“general,thewholeboxoftrickshasgone.we'vebeenleftbehind.forgotten!”

“thedirtydogs!”saidgeneralmacready.

therewasnotmuchtimeforpackingup,andonlyonemotor-car,andonlyonerifle.thegeneralsaidhewouldlookaftertherifle,butcolonelchildssaidifthatweresohewouldratherstaybehindandtakehischanceofbeingcaptured.itwouldbesaferforhim.sotheadjutant-general,thejudgeadvocate,thedeputyassistantjudgeadvocate(colonelchilds),andanorderlyortwopackedintothecarandsetouttofindg.h.q.beforetheyfoundittheyhadtorunthegantletofgermans,andweresnipedallthewaythroughawood,andtookflyingshotsatmovingfigures.then,milesaway,theyfoundg.h.q.

“andweren'ttheysorrytoseemeagain!”saidgeneralmacready,whotoldmethetale.“theythoughttheyhadlostmeforever.”

theday'scasualtylistwasbroughtintotheadjutant—generaloneeveningwheniwasdininginhismess.theorderlyputitdownbythesideofhisplate,andheinterruptedafunnystorytoglancedownthecolumnsofnames.

“dumaurierhasbeenkilled...i'msorry.”

heputdownthepaperbesidehisplateagainandcontinuedhisstory,andwealllaughedheartilyattheendoftheanecdote.itwastheonlyway,andthesoldier'sway.therewasnoingofgriefwhenourbestfriendfell.asigh,anotherghostinone'slife,andthen,“carryon!”