"Oh, yes, they have!... One brigade got over all right ... but the artillery had mown down the bridges behind them, and so we had a go at them with fixed bayonets.... Lord! you don't know what that's like, you chaps!... A charge!... It's awful!... Never known anything like it! If there _is_ a Hell, I expect there's bayonet fighting always going on there!... No! I mean it! Off you go, shouting.... Then one or two fall, and after them lots of others.... And the more that fall the louder you've got to shout so that the others will come along. And then when at last you get to close quarters with 'em, why, you're just raving mad, and you thrust and thrust.... But the first time you feel your bayonet sink into a chap's stomach, you feel a bit queer.... It's all soft, you've only got to shove a bit!... But it's harder to withdraw clean! I was so damned gentle that I upset my fellow--a great big fat chap with a red beard. I couldn't pull my bayonet out ... had to put my foot on his chest, and felt him squirm under my tread. Here, have a look at this!..." He drew out his bayonet, which was red up to the cross-bar. As he went away he stooped down and plucked a handful of grass to clean it. The hours passed. The enemy appeared unwilling to make another attempt to force the passage of the Meuse. We heard that d'Amade had made a flank attack on the opposing German army, and had taken Marville. D'Amade! Well done, d'Amade! But ... was it true? At Halles, a mile and a half from Beauclair, we encamped at the foot of some high hills. The guns, which for some time past had been silent, again began to thunder. The enemy was bombarding the heights above us. As billets for the night we had been given a spacious barn. But when at dusk we went there to get some sleep we found our straw covered with foot-soldiers, rifles, and packs. The artillerymen began swearing: "Hallo, what the hell's all this? No more room left?" There was a scrimmage to let us find places. The barn had a loft above it to which a ladder gave access, and the floor of which was worm-eaten. We stuffed up the holes with hay. "There we are! As usual, the artillery above, and the infantry below. That's all right.... But mind you don't take the ladder away!" "Take care of your feet.... O-o-oh!" "Why couldn't you say you were in the straw?" "Now then, up you go!" Five or six artillerymen were on the ladder at the same time. It bent beneath their weight. Below, a foot-soldier stood motionless, holding a candle in his hand. "Look out! Don't want your spurs in my face, you know!" "Growl away, old chap! Let's get up." "The floor's giving way!... They'll fall through." "Go on, climb up! It's less dangerous than the shells!" "Damn it all, move up a bit, you fellows; otherwise there won't be room for all of us!" "Don't go there! There's a hole.... You'll fall on the Tommies down below!" Downstairs the infantry were grumbling: