CHAPTERIII

chapteriii

intheveryearlydayswelivedinasmalloldhouse,calledbycourtesyachateau,inthevillageoftatinghem,neargeneralheadquartersatst.-omer.(afterwardweshiftedourquartersfromtimetotime,accordingtothedriftofbattleandourconvenience.)itwasverypeacefulthereamidfieldsofstandingcorn,wherepeasantwomenworkedwhiletheirmenwerefighting,butinthemotor-carssuppliedusbythearmy(withmilitarydrivers,allcomplete)itwasaquickrideovercasselhilltotheedgeoftheypressalientandthefarthestpointwhereanycarcouldgowithoutbeingseenbyawatchfulenemyandblowntobitsatasignaltotheguns.thenwewalked,upsinisterroads,oralongcommunicationtrenches,tothefire-stepinthefrontline,orintoplaceslike“plugstreet”woodandkemmelvillage,andtheruinsofvermelles,andthelinesbyneuvechapelle—thetraining-schoolsofbritisharmies—wherealwaysbirdsofdeathwereonthewing,screamingwithhighandrisingnotesbeforecomingtoearthwiththecoughthatkilled...afterhoursinthosehiding-placeswhereboysofthenewarmywerelearningthelessonsofwarindugoutsandditchesundertherangeofgermanguns,backagaintothelittlewhitechateauattatinghem,withasweetscentofflowersfromthefields,andnightingalessinginginthewoodsandabelltinklingforbenedictionintheoldchurchtowerbeyondourgate.

“to-morrow,”saidthecolonel—ourfirstchief—beforedrivinginforalatevisittog.h.q.,“wewillgotoarmentieresandseehowthe'kitchener'boysareshapinginthelineupthere.itoughttobeinteresting.”

thecolonelwasprofoundlyinterestedinthetechnicofwar,initsorganizationofsuppliesandtransport,andmethodsofcommand.hewasaregularoftheindianarmy,asoldierbybloodandcasteandtraining,andthenoblesttypeoftheoldschoolofimperialofficer,withobediencetocommandasareligiousinstinct;ofstainlesshonor,ithink,insmallthingsaswellasgreat,withadeeploveofengland,andabeliefandprideinherimperialdestinytogovernmanypeoplesfortheirowngood,andwiththenarrownessofsuchbelief.hisimaginationwaslimitedtotheboundariesofhisprofessionalinterests,thoughnowandthenhishumanitymadehimrealizeinaperplexedwaygreaterissuesatstakeinthiswarthanthechallengetobritishempiry.

oneday,whenwewerewalkingthroughthedesolationofabattlefield,withthesmellofhumancorruptionaboutus,andmencrouchedinchalkyditchesbelowtheirbreastworksofsand-bags,heturnedtoacolleagueofmineandsaidinastartledway:

“thismustneverhappenagain!never!”

itwillneverhappenagainforhim,asformanyothers.hewastootallforthetrenches,andonedayagermansnipersawtheredglintofhishat-band—hewasonthestaffofthe11thcorps—andthought,“agaybird”!sohefell;andinourmess,whenthenewscame,weweresadathisgoing,andoneofourorderlies,whohadbeenhisbody-servant,weptashewaitedonus.

lateatnightthecolonel—thatfirstchiefofours—usedtocomehomefromg.h.q.,asallmencalledgeneralheadquarterswithasenseofmystery,power,andinexplicableindustryaccomplishing—what?—inthoseinitials.hecamebackwithacheeryshoutof,“fineweatherto-morrow!”or,“astarrynightandall'swell!”lookingfineandsoldierlyastheglareofhisheadlightsshoneonhistallfigurewithredtabsandacoloredarmlet.butthatcheerinesscoveredsecretworries.nightafternight,inthoseearlyweeksofourservice,hesatinhislittleoffice,talkingearnestlywiththepressofficers—ourcensors.theyseemedtobearguing,debating,protesting,aboutsecretinfluencesandhostilitiessurroundingusandthem.icouldonlyguesswhatitwasallabout.itallseemedtomakenodifferencetomewhenisatdownbeforepiecesofblankpapertogetdownsomekindofpicture,somekindofimpression,ofalongdayinplacewhereihadbeenscaredawhilebecausedeathwasontheprowlinanoisywayandihadseenitpounceonhumanbodies.iknewthattomorrowiwasgoingtoanotherlittlepeep-showofwar,whereishouldhearthesamenoises.thattalkdownstairs,thatworryaboutsomemysteryatg.h.q.wouldmakenodifferencetothelifeordeathofmen,norgetridofthatcoldnesswhichcametomewhenmenwerebeingkillednearby.whyallthatargument?

itseemedthatg.h.q.—mysteriouspeopleinamysteriousplace—weredrawinguprulesforwarcorrespondenceandcensorship;alteringrulesmadethedaybefore,formulatingnewrulesforto-morrow,establishingprecedents,writingminutes,initialingreportswith,“passedtoyou,”or,“iagree,”writtenonthemargin.thecensorswholivedwithusandtraveledwithusandwereourfriends,andreadwhatwewrotebeforetheinkwasdry,hadtoexamineourscreedswithmicroscopiceyesandwithinfiniteremembranceofthethousandandonerules.wasitsafetomentiontheweather?wouldthatgiveanyinformationtotheenemy?wasitpermissibletodescribethesmellofchloride-of-limeinthetrenches,orwouldthatdiscouragerecruiting?thatdescriptionofthetrafficontheroadsofwar,withtransportwagons,gun-limbers,lorries,mules—howdidthatconflictwithruleno.17a(orwhateveritwas)prohibitingallmentionofmovementsoftroops?

oneofthecensorsworkinglateatnight,withlinesofworryonhisforeheadandlittlepuckersabouthiseyes,turnedtomewithaqueerlaugh,onenightintheearlydays.hewasanindiancivilservant,andtherefore,byeveryrule,agentlemanandacharmingfellow.

“youdon'tknowwhatiamriskinginpassingyourdespatch!it'stoogoodtospoil,butg.h.q.willprobablyfindthatitconveysaccurateinformationtotheenemyabouttheoffensivein1925.ishallgetthesack—andoh,thedifferencetome!”

itappearedthatg.h.q.wasnervousofus.theyestedthatourprivatelettersshouldbetestedforwritingininvisibleinkbetweenthelines.theywereafraidthat,eitherdeliberatelyforsomejournalisticadvantage,orinsheerignoranceas“outsiders,”wemighthandinformationtotheenemyaboutimportantsecrets.belongingtotheoldcasteofarmymind,theybelievedthatwarwasthespecialprerogativeofprofessionalsoldiers,ofwhichpoliticiansandpeopleshouldhavenoknowledge.thereforeasciviliansinkhakiwewerehardlybetterthanspies.

theindiancivilservantwentforastrollwithmeinthemoonlight,afteradayuptheline,whereyoungmenwerelivinganddyingindirtyditches.icouldseethathewasworried,evenangry.

“thosepeople!”hesaid.

“whatpeople?”

“g.h.q.”

“oh,lord!”igroaned.“again?”andlookedacrossthefieldsofcorntothedarkoutlineofaconventonthehillwhereyoungofficerswerelearningthegentleartofkillingbymachine-gunsbeforetheirturncametobekilledorcrippled.ithoughtofadeadboyihadseenthatday—oryesterdaywasit?—kneelingonthefire-stepofatrench,withhisforeheadagainsttheparapetasthoughinprayer...howsweetwasthescentofthecloverto-night!andhowthatstartwinkledabovethelowflashesofgun-fireawaythereinthesalient.

“theywantustowasteyourtime,”saidtheofficer.“thoseweretheverywordsusedbythechiefofintelligence—inwritingwhichihavekept.'wastetheirtime!'...i'llbedamnedificonsidermyworkistowastethetimeofwarcorrespondents.don'tthosegoodfoolsseethatthisisnotaprofessionaladventure,liketheirotherlittlewars;thatthewholenationisinit,andthatthenationdemandstoknowwhatitsmenaredoing?theyhavearighttoknow.”