broken；　so　that　it　is　marvellous　the　wings　of　the　machine　did　not
  just　up　at　once　like　the　wings　of　a　butterfly。　　The　solitary
  aviator　had　been　wounded　in　the　face。　　He　had　then　come　down　in　a
  long　glide　into　the　British　lines；　and　made　a　tolerable
  landing。。。。
  2
  One　consequence　of　the　growing　importance　of　the　aeroplane　in
  warfare　is　the　development　of　a　new　military　art；　the　art　of
  camouflage。　　Camouflage　is　humbugging　disguise；　it　is　making
  thingsand　especially　in　this　connection；　military　thingsseem
  not　what　they　are；　but　something　peaceful　and　rural；　something
  harmless　and　quite　uninteresting　to　aeroplane　observers。　　It　is
  the　art　of　making　big　guns　look　like　haystacks　and　tents　like
  level　patches　of　field。
  Also　it　includes　the　art　of　making　attractive　models　of　guns；
  camps；　trenches　and　the　like　that　are　not　bona…fide　guns；　camps；
  or　trenches　at　all；　so　that　the　aeroplane　bomb…dropper　and　the
  aeroplane　observer　may　waste　his　time　and　energies　and　the　enemy
  gunfire　be　misdirected。　　In　Italy　I　saw　dummy　guns　so　made　as　to
  deceive　the　very　elect　at　a　distance　of　a　few　thousand　feet。　　The
  camouflage　of　concealment　aims　either　at　invisibility　or
  imitation；　I　have　seen　a　supply　train　look　like　a　row　of
  cottages；　its　smoke…stack　a　chimney；　with　the　tops　of　sham
  palings　running　along　the　back　of　the　engine　and　creepers　painted
  up　its　sides。　　But　that　was　a　flight　of　the　imagination；　the
  commonest　camouflage　is　merely　to　conceal。　　Trees　are　brought　up
  and　planted　near　the　object　to　be　hidden；　it　is　painted　in　the
  same　tones　as　its　background；　it　is　covered　with　an　awning
  painted　to　look　like　grass　or　earth。　　I　suppose　it　is　only　a
  matter　of　development　before　a　dummy　cow　or　so　is　put　up　to　chew
  the　cud　on　the　awning。
  But　camouflage　or　no　camouflage；　the　bulk　of　both　the　French　and
  British　forces　in　the　new　won　ground　of　the　great　offensive　lay
  necessarily　in　the　open。　　Only　the　big　guns　and　the　advanced　Red
  Cross　stations　had　got　into　pits　and　subterranean　hiding　places。
  The　advance　has　been　too　rapid　and　continuous　for　the　armies　to
  make　much　of　a　toilette　as　they　halted；　and　the　destruction　and
  the　desolation　of　the　country　won　afforded　few　facilities　for
  easy　concealment。　　Tents；　transport；　munitions；　these　all
  indicated　an　army　on　the　marchat　the　rate　of　half　a　mile　in　a
  week　or　so；　to　Germany。　　If　the　wet　and　mud　of　November　and
  December　have　for　a　time　delayed　that　advance；　the　force　behind
  has　but　accumulated　for　the　resumption　of　the　thrust。
  3
  A　journey　up　from　the　base　to　the　front　trenches　shows　an
  interesting　series　of　phases。　　One　leaves　Amiens；　in　which　the
  normal　life　threads　its　way　through　crowds　of　resting　men　in
  khaki　and　horizon　blue；　in　which　staff　officers　in　automobiles
  whisk　hither　and　thither；　in　which　there　are　nurses　and　even　a
  few　inexplicable　ladies　in　worldly　costume；　in　which　restaurants
  and　cafes　are　congested　and　busy；　through　which　there　is　a
  perpetual　coming　and　going　of　processions　of　heavy　vans　to　the
  railway　sidings。　　One　dodges　past　a　monstrous　blue…black　gun
  going　up　to　the　British　front　behind　two　resolute　traction
  enginesthe　three　sun…blistered　young　men　in　the　cart　that
  trails　behind　lounge　in　attitudes　of　haughty　pride　that　would
  shame　the　ceiling　gods　of　Hampton　Court。　　One　passes　through
  arcades　of　waiting　motor　vans；　through　arcades　of　waiting　motor
  vans；　through　suburbs　still　more　intensely　khaki　or　horizon　blue；
  and　so　out　upon　the　great　straight　poplar…edged　roadto　the
  front。　　Sometimes　one　laces　through　spates　of　heavy　traffic；
  sometimes　the　dusty　road　is　clear　ahead；　now　we　pass　a　vast
  aviation　camp；　now　a　park　of　waiting　field　guns；　now　an
  encampment　of　cavalry。　　One　turns　aside；　and　abruptly　one　is　in
  FranceFrance　as　one　knew　it　before　the　war；　on　a　shady
  secondary　road；　past　a　delightful　chateau　behind　its　iron　gates；
  past　a　beautiful　church；　and　then　suddenly　we　are　in　a　village
  street　full　of　stately　Indian　soldiers。
  It　betrays　no　military　secret　to　say　that　commonly　the　rare
  tourist　to　the　British　offensive　passes　through　Albert；　with　its
  great　modern　red　cathedral　smashed　to　pieces　and　the　great　gilt
  Madonna　and　Child　that　once　surmounted　the　tower　now；　as　everyone
  knows；　hanging　out　horizontally　in　an　attitude　that　irresistibly
  suggests　an　imminent　dive　upon　the　passing　traveller。　　One　looks
  right　up　under　it。
  Presently　we　begin　to　see　German　prisoners。　　The　whole　lot　look
  entirely　contented；　and　are　guarded　by　perhaps　a　couple　of　men　in
  khaki。　　These　German　prisoners　do　not　attempt　to　escape；　they
  have　not　the　slightest　desire　for　any　more　fighting；　they　have
  done　their　bit；　they　say；　honour　is　satisfied；　they　give
  remarkably　little　trouble。　　A　little　way　further　on　perhaps　we
  pass　their　cage；　a　double　barbed…wire　enclosure　with　a　few　tents
  and　huts　within。
  A　string　of　covered　waggons　passes　by。　　I　turn　and　see　a　number
  of　men　sitting　inside　and　looking　almost　as　cheerful　as　a
  beanfeast　in　Epping　Forest。　　the　make　facetious　gestures。　　They
  have　a　subdued　sing…song　going　on。　　But　one　of　them　looks　a
  little　sick；　and　then　I　notice　not　very　obtrusive　bandages。
  〃Sitting…up　cases；〃　my　guide　explains。
  These　are　part　of　the　casualties　of　last　night's　fight。
  The　fields　on　either　side　are　now　more　evidently　in　the　war　zone。
  The　array　of　carts；　the　patches　of　tents；　the　coming　and　going　of
  men　increases。　　But　here　are　three　women　harvesting；　and
  presently　in　a　cornfield　are　German　prisoners　working　under　one
  old　Frenchman。　　Then　the　fields　become　trampled　again。　　Here　is　a
  village；　not　so　very　much　knocked　about；　and　passing　through　it
  we　go　slowly　beside　a　long　column　of　men　going　up　to　the　front。
  We　scan　their　collars　for　signs　of　some　familiar　regiment。　　These
  are　new　men　going　up　for　the　first　time；　there　is　a　sort　of
  solemn　elation　in　many　of　their　faces。
  The　men　coming　down　are　usually　smothered　in　mud　or　dust；　and
  unless　there　has　been　a　fight　they　look　pretty　well　done　up。
  They　stoop　under　their　equipment；　and　some　of　the　youngsters
  drag。　　One　pleasant　thing　about　this　coming　down　is　the　welcome
  of　the　regimental　band；　which　is　usually　at　work　as　soon　as　the
  men　turn　off　from　the　high　road。　　I　hear　several　bands　on　the
  British　front；　they　do　much　to　enhance　the　general　cheerfulness。
  On　one　of　these　days　of　my　tour　I　had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　the
  …th　Blankshires　coming　down　after　a　fight。　　As　we　drew　near　I
  saw　that　they　combined　an　extreme　muddiness　with　an　unusual
  elasticity。　　They　all　seemed　to　be　looking　us　in　the　face　instead
  of　being　too　fagged　to　bother。　　Then　I　noticed　a　nice　grey　helmet
  dangling　from　one　youngster's　bayonet；　in　fact　his　eye　directed
  me　to　it。　　A　man　behind　him　had　a　black　German　helmet　of　the　type
  best　known　in　English　illustrations；　then　two　more　grey　appeared。
  The　catch　of　helmets　was　indeed　quite　considerable。　　Then　I
  perceived　on　the　road　bank　above　and　marching　parallel　with　this
  column；　a　double　file　of　still　muddier　Germans。　　Either　they　wore
  caps　or　went　bare…headed。　　There　were　no　helmets　among　them。　　We
  do　not　rob　our　prisoners　buta　helmet　is　a　weapon。　　Anyhow；　it
  is　an　irresistible　souvenir。
  Now　and　then　one　sees　afar　off　an　ammunition　dump；　many　hundreds
  of　stacks　of　shellswithout　their　detonators　as　yetbeing
  unloaded　from　railway　trucks；　transferred　from　the　broad　gauge　to
  the　narrow　gauge　line；　or　loaded　onto　motor　trolleys。　　Now　and
  then　one　crosses　a　railway　line。　　The　railway　lines　run
  everywhere　behind　the　British　front；　the　construction　follows　the
  advance　day　by　day。　　They　go　up　as　fast　as　the　guns。　　One's　guide
  remarks　as　the　car　bumps　over　the　level　crossing；　〃That　is　one　of
  Haig's　railways。〃　　It　is　an　aspect　of　the　Commander…in…Chief　that
  has　much　impressed　and　pleased　the　men。　　And　at　last　we　begin　to
  enter　the　region　of　the　former　Allied　trenches；　we　pass　the　old
  German　front　line；　we　pass　ruined　houses；　ruined　fields；　and
  thick　patches　of　clustering　wooden　crosses　and　boards　where　the
  dead　of　the　opening　assaults　lie。　　There　are　no　more　reapers　now；
  there　is　no　more　green　upon　the　fields；　there　is　no　green
  anywhere；　scarcely　a　tree　survives　by　the　roadside；　but　only
  overthrown　trunks　and　splintered　stumps；　the　fields　are
  wildernesses　of　shell　craters　and　coarse　weeds；　the　very　woods
  are　collections　of　blasted　stems　and　stripped　branches。　　This
  absolutely　ravaged　and　ruined　battlefield　country　extends　now
  along　the　front　of　the　Somme　offensive　for　a　depth　of　many　miles；
  across　it　the　French　and　British　camps　and　batteries　creep
  forward；　the　stores；　the　dumps；　the　railways　creep　forward；　in
  their　untiring；　victorious　thrust　against　the　German　lines。
  Overhead　hum　and　roar　the　aeroplanes；　away　towards　the　enemy　the
  humped；　blue　sausage…shaped　kite　balloons　brood　thoughtfully；　and
  from　this　point　and　that；　guns；　curiously　invisible　until　they
  speak；　flash　suddenly　and　strike　their　one　short　hammer…blow　of
  sound。
  Then　one　sees　an　enemy　shell　drop　among　the　little　patch　of　trees
  on　the　crest　to　the　right；　and　kick　up　a　great　red…black　mass　of
  smoke　and　dust。　　We　see　it；　and　then　we　hear　the　whine　of　its
  arrival　and　at　last　the　bang。　　The　Germans　are　blind　now；