"
"Lannes will attend to all those matters," said John. "I'll rest until
he comes, if I have the chance. Is that your artillery firing?"
"It's our big guns out in front," said Lord James Ivor. "Jove, but what
work they've done! A lot of our guns have been smashed, one half of our
gunners maybe have been smashed with 'em, but they've never flinched.
They covered our retreat from Belgium, and they've been the heralds of
our advance here on the Marne! Listen to 'em! How they talk!"
The heavy crash of guns far in front and the thunder of the German guns
replying came back to their ears. It was a louder note in the general
and ceaseless murmur of the battle, but the young men paid it only a
passing moment of attention. Carstairs presently added as an
afterthought:
"Unless Lannes returns soon I don't think we'll hear from him. That
blaze of the guns in front of us indicates close fighting again, and
we'll probably be ordered forward soon."
"I don't think so," said Lord James Ivor. "Our guns and the German guns
will talk together for quite a while before the infantry advance. You
can spend a good two hours with us yet, and still have time to depart
for the French army."
It was evident that Lord James Ivor knew what he was talking about,
since, as far as John could see, the khaki army lay outspread on the
turf. These men were too much exhausted and too much dulled to danger to
stir merely because the cannon were blazing.
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