Eventually I stumbled across the road and breathed freely
for a second.
But the enemy's fire would not allow me a very long breathing (p. 168)
space, it seemed bent on battering the village to pieces. In front of
me ran a broken-down wall, behind it were a number of houses and not a
light showing. The road was deserted.
A shell exploded in mid-air straight above, and bullets sang down and
shot into the ground round me. Following it came the casing splinters
humming like bees, then a second explosion, the whizzing bullets and
the bees, another explosion....
"Come along and get out of it," I whispered to myself, and looked
along the road; a little distance off I fancied I saw a block of
buildings.
"Run!"
I ran, "stampeded!" is a better word, and presently found myself
opposite an open door. I flung myself in, tripped, and went prostrate
to the floor.
Boom! I almost chuckled, thinking myself secure from the shells that
burst overhead. It was only when the bees bounced on the floor that I
looked up to discover that the house was roofless.
I made certain that the next building had a roof before I entered. It
also had a door, this I shoved open and found myself amongst a (p. 169)
number of horses and warm penetrating odour of dung.
"Now, 3008, you may smoke," I said, addressing myself, and drew out my
cigarette case. My matches were quite dry; I lit one and was just
putting it to my cigarette when one of the horses began prancing at
the other end of the building.
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