CHAPTERXIX

chapterxix

thegoalofourdesireseemedattainedwhenatlastwereachedbapaumeaftertheseterrificbattlesinwhichallourdivisions,numberingnearlyamillionmen,tookpart,withnotmuchdifferenceincourage,notmuchdifferenceinaverageofloss.bytheendofthatyear'sfightingourcasualtieshadmounteduptothefrightfultotaloffourhundredthousandmen.thosefieldswerestrewnwithourdead.ourgraveyardsweregrowingforestsoflittlewhitecrosses.thegermandeadlayinheaps.thereweretwelvehundredcorpseslitteredovertheearthbelowloupartwood,inonemass,andeighthundredofthemweregerman.icouldnotwalkwithouttreadingonthemthere.whenifellintheslimeiclutchedarmsandlegs.thestenchofdeathwasstrongandawful.

butourmenwhohadescapeddeathandshell-shockkepttheirsanitythroughallthiswildernessofslaughter,kept—oh,marvelous!—theirspiritofhumor,theirfaithinsomekindofvictory.iwaswiththeaustraliansonthatdaywhentheyswarmedintobapaume,andtheybroughtouttrophieslikemenatacountryfair...irememberanaustraliancolonelwhocameridingwithagermanbeer-mugathissaddle...nextday,thoughshellswerestillburstingintheruins,someaustralianboyssetupsomepaintedscenerywhichtheyhadfoundamongtherubbish,andchalkedupthenameofthe“coo-eetheater.”

theenemywasinretreattohishindenburgline,overawidestretchofcountrywhichhelaidwastebehindhim,makingadesertoffrenchvillagesandorchardsandparks,sothateventhefruit-treeswerecutdown,andthechurchesblownup,andthegravesransackedfortheirlead.itwastheenemy'sfirstretreatonthewesternfront,andthatferociousfightingofthebritishtroopshadsmashedthestrongestdefenseseverbuiltinwar,andourrawrecruitshadbrokenthemostfamousregimentsofthegermanarmy,soinspiteofalltragedyandallagonyourmenwerenotdowncast,butfolloweduptheirenemywithasenseofexcitementbecauseitseemedsomuchlikevictoryandtheendofwar.

whenthegermansretreatedfromgommecourt,wheresomanyboysofthe56th(london)divisionhadfallenonthe1stofjuly,iwentthroughthatevilplacebywayoffonquevillers(whichwecalled“funkyvillas”),and,stumblingovertheshell-cratersandbrokentrenchesanddeadbodiesbetweenthedeadmastsofslashedandbranchlesstrees,cameintotheopencountrytoouroutpostline.imetthereafriendlysergeantwhosurprisedmebyreferringinacasualwaytoalittleoldbookofmine.

“thisplace,”hesaid,glancingatme,“isastrangestreetofadventure.”

itremindedmeofanotherreferencetothattaleofminewheniwasamongacrowdoflondonladswhohadjustbeenengagedinabloodyfightataplacecalledthehairpin.

ayoungofficersentformeandifoundhimintheloftofastinkingbarn,sittinginatubasnakedashewasborn.

“ijustwantedtoaskyou,”hesaid,“whetherkatharinemarriedfrank?”

thesergeantatgommecourtwasanxioustoshowmehisownstreetofadventure.

“ibelongtotoc-emmas,”hesaid(meaningtrench—mortars),“andmyofficerswouldbeverypleasedifyouwouldhavealookattheirlateststunt.we'vegota9.2mortarinpigeonwood,awaybeyondtheinfantry.it'sneverbeendonebeforeandwe'regoingtoblowoldfritzoutofkitecopse.”

ifollowedhimintotheblue,asitseemedtome,andwefellinwithayoungofficeralsoonhiswaytopigeonwood.hewasinamerrymood,inspiteofharassingfireroundaboutandtheoccasionalhowlofa5.9.hekeptstoppingtolookatenormousholesinthegroundandlaughingatsomethingthatseemedtoticklehissenseofhumor.

“seethat?”hesaid.“that'soldcharlielowndes'swork.”

atanotherpitinupheavedearthhesaid:“that'scharlielowndesagain...oldcharliegave'emhell.he'satoppingchap.youmustmeethim...mygod!lookatthat!”

heroaredwithlaughteragain,ontheedgeofanunusuallylargecrater.

“whoischarlie?”iasked.“wherecanifindhim?”

“oh,weshallmeethiminpigeonwood.he'saspleasedaspunchathavinggotbeyondtheinfantry.firsttimeithaseverbeendone.tookabitofdoing,too,withthelargestsizeoftoc-emma.”

weenteredpigeonwoodafteralongwalkoverwildchaos,and,guidedbytheofficerandsergeant,idiveddownintoadeepdugoutjustcapturedfromthegermans,whoweretwohundredyardsawayinkitecopse.

“whatcheer,charlie!”shoutedtheyoungofficer.

“hullo,fellow-my-lad!...comein.we'regettinggloriouslybingedonararefindofgermanbrandy.”

“toppingandi'vebroughtavisitor.”

capt.charleslowndes—“dearoldcharlie”—receivedusmostpolitelyinoneofthebestdugoutsieversaw,withsmoothlypaneledwallsfittedupwithshelves,andgooddealfurnituremadetomatch.

“thisisanicelittlehomeinhell,”saidcharles.“atanymoment,ofcourse,wemaybeblowntobits,butmeanwhileitisverycomfydownhere,andwhatmakeseverythinggoodisabottleofrareoldbrandyandanunlimitedsupplyofgermansoda-water.alsotoaddtothegaietyofindecentmindsthereisacompleteoutfitofladies'clothinginaneighboringdugout.funnyfellowsthosegermanofficers.takeapew,won'tyou?andhaveadrink.orderly!”

heshoutedforhismanandorderedafurthersupplyofgermansoda-water.

wedranktotheconfusionoftheenemy,inhisownbrandyandsoda-water,outofhisownmugs,sittingonhisownchairsathisowntable,and“dearoldcharlie,”whowasalittleetoile,asafterwardibecame,withasenseofdeepsatisfaction(thenoiseofshellsseemedmoreremote),discoursedonwar,whichhehated,germanpsychology,trench-mortarbarrages(theyhadsimplyblownthebocheoutofgommecourt),andhisparticularfancystuntofstealingamarchontheinfantry,who,saidcaptainlowndes,are“lapsbehind.”otherofficerscrowdedintothedugout.oneofthemsaid:“youmustcomeroundtomine.it'sablastedpalace,”andiwentroundlaterandhetoldmeonthewaythathehadescapedsooftenfromshell-burststhathethoughttheaverageofluckwasupandhewasboundtoget“donein”beforelong.

charlielowndesdispenseddrinkswithnoblegenerosity.therewasmuchlaughteramongus,andafterwardwewentupstairsandtotheedgeofthewood,towhichaheavy,wetmistwasclinging,andisawthetrench-mortarsectionplaythedevilwithkitecopse,overtheway.lateintheafternoonitookmyleaveofamerrycompanyinthatfar-flungoutpostofourline,andwishedthemluck.afewshellscrashedthroughthewoodasileft,butiwasdisdainfulofthemafterthatadmirablebrandy.itwasalongwalkbackto“funkyvillas,”notwithouttheinterestofarithmeticalcalculationsabouttheoddsofluckinharassingfire,butathousandyardsorsofrompigeonwoodilookedbackandsawthattheenemyhadbegunto“takenotice.”heavyshellsweresmashingthroughthetreesthereferociously.ihopedmyfriendsweresafeintheirdugoutsagain....

andithoughtofthelaughterandgallantspiritoftheyoungmen,afterfivemonthsofthegreatestbattlesinthehistoryoftheworld.itseemedtomewonderful.