We left Laon rather suddenly and went in the direction of Soissons. In my new function, I had to form the vanguard. With a few others, I would arrive unexpectedly in the villages, where our foreign uniforms generally created alarm, as we were taken for German patrols. In order to avoid mistakes, I used to send a horseman on in front to announce the arrival of friends. The astrakhan _talpack_ that I wore surprised the inhabitants of the villages and I overheard the following conversation: "You see the one with a fur cap. He is an officer of the Russian vanguard." Another person probably better informed, with regard to distances, replied: "Impossible, the Russians could not be here yet." It is only fair to say that all the papers then were announcing, in big letters, formidable advances of the Russian army. The day after leaving Laon, we arrived at Sermoise-sur-Aisne. An English patrol was there, under the command of an officer, who told us that German forces had been signalled to the north of the Aisne. Colonel Iweins, who had already had this information, told the English officer that some squadrons had been sent to reconnoitre and that news was awaited before authorising a bivouac there. He added that he would send an officer with the information he received to the English General then at Soissons. As I acted as interpreter and arrived with the vanguard, Colonel Iweins entrusted me with this mission. He told me, too, that the detachment that he commanded was to start the following day by rail from Soissons. I was entrusted with the reconnaissance of the station and was to wait there for his arrival. The squadrons soon returned without having anything special to report. The bivouac was therefore organised and I started. I was delighted at having this mission as, when I had accomplished it, I should be able to dine on something else than rabbit, which had been our food for several days, and I should also have a good hotel bed instead of sleeping on straw at the bivouac. I was accompanied only by my orderly and, with a light heart, smoking a cigarette, I arrived in Soissons after an enjoyable ride. It was just getting dark. There was not a person in the street, and a death-like silence prevailed. I wondered what this meant? Finally, I met an English cycling platoon. The officer in command informed me that the Germans were at the gates of the town, on the other side of the Aisne. "Surely," I said, "there must be some mistake, as there is an English General at Soissons." "We beat a retreat in a south-westerly direction," replied the officer, "and we form the extreme left rear." I went at once to the station and found that all the rolling stock had been removed. After some time, I found one of the station officials.