Page:War's dark frame (IA warsdarkframe00camp).pdf/218

184 roaring of guns we heard shells shriek. Overhead puffs of smoke were born. The roar be. came continuous. Other puffs appeared.

"Look at that!" the driver of the car cried.

The other cars were far ahead. We sprang after them. The wind shrilled past. We tore from the black curtain that had followed a heavy explosion. Jetty sheets waved close at hand. There was nothing to do except to get every ounce of speed out of the cars. There was no point in leaning forward. The cars were like great beetles, scurrying from a foot that tried to crush them.

In a moment we were skidding to the right among the trees of the brigade village. As we reduced speed I saw a number of French civilians run from an estaminet towards the boundaries of the trees. They stood there, gaping at the rolling black smoke.

“Why aren't they hunting a cellar?” I asked.

The driver snickered.

"Those old Frenchmen! You see they live here. The village isn't bombarded much. Some of those shells came pretty close. They don't want a cellar. They want to see why the Huns are strafing so near their front doors. And say, they don't want to miss anything anyway. But they'll be mad to have their appetiser disturbed."