So I gets
out of the trench and starts crawling across the top towards the
place where I see the Captain disappear. As I got near the
support line the ground went up a little and then dropped, so I
got a bit of a view on to the ground ahead. And then I sees the
Captain here!"
Buzzer Barling stopped. All had listened to his story with the
deepest interest, especially Strangwise, who never took his eyes
off the gunner's brown face. Some men are born story-tellers and
there was a rugged picturesqueness about Barling's simple
narrative which conjured up in the minds of his hearers the
picture of the lonely signaller cowering in the abandoned trench
among the freshly slain, waiting for the officer who never came
back.
"It's not a nice thing to have to say about an orficer," the
gunner presently continued, "and so help me God, gentlemen, I
kep' my mouth shut about it until... until..."
He broke off and looked quickly at Desmond.
"Keep that until the end, Barling," said Desmond, "finish about
the raid now!"
"Well, as I was sayin', gentlemen, I was up on a bit of hillock
near Fritz's support line when I sees the Captain here. He was
settin' all comfortable in a shell-hole, his glases in his hand,
chattin' quite friendly like with two of the Gers.
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