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While the horses were being hooked in, I scribbled an order explaining the situation, and instructing all battery waggon lines to move towards Varesnes at once. I knew that in view of the 6.30 A.M. relief by the rd Brigade, horses would be sent up for the officers and men at the guns, and it was possible that the guns would now be brought back from the Caillouel ridge before that time.
I shouted through the window for the sergeant-major. The column could be ready to move in a quarter of an hour, he answered. My servant brought me a change of boots and leggings, and I shaved. "Won't you wait and have breakfast, sir?" asked the sergeant-major. "No. Pack up everything; we'll get to Varesnes as soon as you are ready."
I got up and found it was the Divisional Artillery signalling-officer. "Rather important," he said, without preamble. "The General says it is essential to get all transport vehicles over the canal to-night. There's bound to be a hell of a crush in the morning. Headquarters R.A. will be at Varesnes by to-morrow morning, so I should move as far that way as you can.
It looked as if the German rush was not expected to go much farther, for Varesnes was the first little town fully occupied by civilians that we had come to. Most of them were preparing to leave, and roomy French farm carts, piled high with curious medleys of mattresses, chairs and tables, clothing, carpets, kitchen utensils, clocks and pictures, kept moving off.
"There are some French lorries in front, sir, and the sentry won't open the bridge gates to let them cross." I felt puzzled and angered, and rode forward to question the French sentry. Half a dozen protesting lorry-drivers stood round him. The bridge did lead to Varesnes, he admitted, but it was only a light bridge, and he had orders to allow no military traffic over it.
There was a long wait while a line of French waggons moved out of our way. Some of the men were yawning with the sleepiness that comes from being cold as well as tired. We were now on the outskirts of a village that lay four miles from Varesnes. "What do you say if we stop at this place and go on after a rest?" said Dumble. I agreed.
I went round to see Dumble before we started, but he said he wasn't going to hurry. "I'll let the men have a proper clean-up and march off about eleven," he decided. The Headquarter column wound away from the village, and set out on a long smooth road that ran through a wood and edged away from the canal. Two miles from Varesnes we met the brigade-major. His tired eyes lighted up when he saw me.
"And now," observed the colonel, lighting a cigarette and noting the time, "we may as well gather our horses and get along ourselves." "I feel very relieved about C Battery," he said five minutes later as we rode along; and he smiled for the first time for quite three hours. 1 P.M.: For some miles after leaving Varesnes it was retreat rapid, undisguised, and yet with a plan.
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