Page:War's dark frame (IA warsdarkframe00camp).pdf/162

132 bad taste in the British army any longer. But the impulse to all this chatter seemed far removed from the dining-room and the quiet movements of the servants. One might talk just so in London or New York. From the first it wasn't reasonable that less than forty miles away lay that open wound in the body of civilisation which we had come to probe.

It was brought nearer as we started for bed the night of our arrival. Williams appeared then with an armful of khaki-coloured bags, slung from straps. He handed one to each of us.

"These are gas masks," he said seriously. On no account forget them tomorrow."

With an assumed indifference one wanted to know what kind of gas the Germans were using.

An improved variety," Williams answered. He lighted a cigarette.

“If you get the alarm," he went on between puffs," hold your breath until you put your masks on, because three whiffs of this new stuff is certain death, and it isn't a pretty way to go either."

Even with such a prompting utter weariness won't let you dream of war.