"The officers and the non-commissioned officers gave the orders in whispers. They had interpreters to help them. "As for me, I was at once told off to do sentry in the place of a great French chap, with a beard, who was a good 15 years older than I. "As I understood a bit of French, I was able to make out most of what he said to me. "'Good evening, my lad,' says he. 'You're a good fellow to come and let me out of this. Shake hands, won't you?'--I didn't understand everything; French is so difficult--and he added: 'And now, young 'un, open your eyes and keep them skinned.' "Then he gave me a great deal of very sound advice, showing me in which directions I must keep a good look-out, and telling me to have a care of a blackguardly German machine-gun which never has done sweeping their parapet. "When he had finished with this he took his rifle out of the loophole, and I put mine there in its place. And that's how the big relief was carried out on Christmas night." At this point Tommy was forced to interrupt his long letter, for the Germans had at last got news of the relief and were attacking the sector. In vain. Next day Tommy finished thus: "My _poilu_ was right. This corner can hardly be called a quiet one, and Fritz is a bad boy, there's no doubt about it. Thanks for your Christmas parcel. The pudding was A1. Good-bye. "TOMMY." PART III. THE ARMIES OF THE NORTH. Flat calm on both sides of the Ancre; calm--or something like it--on the Somme. Let us take advantage of this apparent truce to get into rather closer touch with the British Army. By this eight-day tour (though it has seemed, while we have been making it, a kind of intermezzo between two acts of the offensive) we had intended, particularly, to demonstrate to ourselves, by our study of the events and those who have enacted them, the dauntless determination with which our Allies, not satisfied to defend the heroic heritage which these battlefields of 1915 have bequeathed to them, now prepare for the future. In telling these experiences, one has to play the Censor over oneself. And so we may say nothing of the most important things of all. Everywhere throughout this countryside mighty Armies, in the most perfect secrecy, are doing their business, scattering, with prodigal hand, the seed of future victory. And the harvest will surely be gathered. And if, at this time of heart-breaking uncertainty, our journey enables us to do no more than declare that great things are assuredly preparing, this alone will make it worth our having undertaken it. We did not set out, we three, with our permits from the General Headquarters, to make a sentimental pilgrimage over the battlefields that lie between Lorette and the trenches of French Flanders. No; it was a reconnaissance that we made--into the Future. These sketches of the British Armies are, thus, no more than a study of latent forces. CHAPTER I.