Part 39 (1/2)

”Are you the Kinema man?” he enquired. ”General ---- told me you were coming; what do you want?”

”Well, sir,” I said, ”I want to obtain films of all the operations in connection with the taking of St. Quentin; if you have an observation-post from which I can obtain a good view it will suit me admirably.”

”I am sure we can fix you up all right. But we are just going to have a meal; sit down and join us. We can then go into details.”

Lunch was served in primitive fas.h.i.+on, which was unavoidable under such conditions--but we fared sumptuously, although on a rough plain table with odds and ends for platters, and boxes and other makes.h.i.+fts for chairs.

During the meal I went into details with the General about my requirements. He quite understood my position and thoroughly appreciated my keen desire to obtain something unique in the way of film story.

”The taking of St. Quentin by the Allied troops, sir, would be one of my finest films.”

”Well,” he said, ”the French are bombarding the suburbs and other places, so far as damage is concerned, to-day; our batteries are also giving a hand. I should advise you to go to this spot”--indicating a position on the map. ”What do you think?” he turned to the Brigade Major. ”Will this do for him?”

”Yes, sir, I should think so.”

”Anyway, I can soon see, if you can put me on the road to find it. But a guide would save time.”

”You had better take him,” said the General to the Brigade Major; ”you know the place quite well.”

”Right, sir,” he said.

So, getting hold of an extra orderly to help carry my kit, we started off, up through a wood and then for the first time I viewed St. Quentin.

”We had better spread out here,” said my guide. ”Bosche can observe all movements from the Cathedral tower, and he doesn't forget to 'strafe' us although no harm is ever done.”

”He is crumping now by all appearances,” I replied, noticing some crumps bursting about three hundred yards away.

”Yes, they are 'strafing' the place we are going to! That's cheerful, anyway. We will make a wide detour; he's putting shrapnel over now. Look out! Keep well to the side of the wood.”

We kept under cover until it was necessary to cross a field to a distant copse.

”That's our O.P. We have some guns there, worse luck.”

”Hullo, keep down,” I said; ”that's a burst of four.”

Crash--crash--crash--cras.h.!.+ in quick succession, the fearful bursts making the ground tremble.

”Very pretty,” I remarked. ”I will get my camera ready for the next lot.”

They came--and I started turning one after the other; it was an excellent scene; but, as the enemy seemed to swing his range round slightly, the pieces were coming much too near to be healthy. So, hastily packing up, we made straight for the copse on the quarry top.

High shrapnel was now bursting, several pieces whistling very unpleasantly near.

”Let's get under shelter of the trees,” said the Brigade Major, ”the trunks will give us a lot of cover.”

We made a run for it, and reached them safely, and, gently drawing near the outer edge, I was in full view of St. Quentin.

The Cathedral loomed up with great prominence--and shrapnel was exploding near the tower.

”That's to keep the Hun observers down,” he said. ”We are not, of course, sh.e.l.ling the place to damage it at all. Those fires you can see there are of Bosche making; he is systematically burning the place as a prelude to retreat. My Intelligence officer says that the Palace of Justice and the theatre are well alight, and airmen declare the town quite empty; they flew over it yesterday only about two hundred feet above the house-tops and they were not fired at once. Seems to me they've evacuated the populace entirely.”

”Jove,” I said, ”the French are letting them have it over there,”