“At last! All the cases of grenades have been cleared away. Shovelfuls of earth are thrown on to the fire, which is now beginning to grow less violent. “Fortunately, our bombs have had a sobering effect upon the Boches. “True, we must go and look for more grenades if we wish to hold out against a fresh onset. Nearly twenty cases of them have been emptied. “_10 o’clock_ P.M.--A man comes from the Colonel’s headquarters with five water-bottles--one of them empty--for the whole company. The bottles hold four pints each. This makes not quite eighteen pints for 60 corporals and privates, 8 sergeants and 3 officers. “The sergeant-major, in my presence, distributes this water with scrupulous fairness. It has a taint of corpses. “_Saturday, June 3._--I have not slept for nearly sixty-two hours. “2.30 P.M.--The Boches are making a fresh onslaught. “‘Keep cool, my lads! Let them get well out! We have to husband our ammunition. At twenty-five paces! Let them have it hot and strong when I give the word of command! “‘Fire!’ “‘Jump to it!’ “Crack! go the rifles, all together. A smart piece of work. Well done! Black smoke rises. We see batches of Boches spin round and fall. One or two get up on their knees and manage to crawl away. Another lets himself roll down into the trench, so great is his haste. Some, however, advance towards us, while their comrades who remain in the trench riddle us with bullets. “One of them even comes right up to the wire entanglement, three yards from the parapet. D---- lays him out with a bomb flung fair and square at his head. “At three-thirty they have had enough, and withdraw into their lair. The sun is shining brightly. A song rises to my lips. “‘You are in good spirits, sir!’ “‘Obviously. After all, when the die is cast----’ “At six o’clock the German stretcher-bearers come out to pick up their wounded. I forbid my men to fire upon them. * * * * * “The Germans pass the dyke without a stop. They occupy R¹. We are hard pressed on all sides. The situation is highly critical. The horror of it grips our very heart-strings. * * * * * “This evening, the Boches clear the way with heavy artillery fire. We shall certainly have to face a fresh attack. “I order my men to reconstruct the machine-gun emplacement, which has been destroyed during the day, and to take up a position with the one of the two guns which they have succeeded in repairing. “For drinking-water, as it is raining, the men have put their mugs outside, and have laid down canvas. “At 8.30 P.M. the gentlemen over the way emerge from Sarajevo. “The _poilus_ rejoice at this. At 15 yards they send them such a violent barrage of bombs, supported by machine-guns, that the Germans are not inclined to press the point. The attack is brought to a dead stop.