So the hounds were sent back to England, and
the cavalry horses are now exercised in dejected strings along side
roads.
As we went north the firing increased in intensity. More English
batteries were at work; the German response was insistent.
We were approaching Ypres, this time from the English side, and the
great artillery duel of late February was in progress.
The country was slightly rolling. Its unevenness permitted more
activity along our road. Batteries were drawn up at rest in the fields
here and there. In one place a dozen food kitchens in the road were
cooking the midday meal, the khaki-clad cooks frequently smoking as
they worked.
Ahead of this loomed two hills. They rose abruptly, treeless and
precipitous. On the one nearest to the German lines was a ruined
tower.
"The tower," said the officer, "would have been a charming place for
luncheon. But the hill has been shelled steadily for several days. I
have no idea why the Germans are shelling it. There is nobody there."
CHAPTER XXX
THE MILITARY SECRET
The second hill was our destination. At the foot of it the car stopped
and we got out. A steep path with here and there a wooden step led to
the summit. At the foot of the path was a sentry and behind him one of
the multicoloured tents.
"Are you a good climber?" asked the officer.
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