of 150's burst near them, while several carriages got lost for a short time in the darkness and became tangled up in some barbed wire. By midnight, however, the whole First Battalion was well on its way. A long, tedious road-march followed. The echelon at Rangeval was passed, then the towns of Cornieville, Jouy, Gironville, and Vignot. Finally, at 7 A. M., we reached our new echelon at Boncourt near the banks of the Meuse. We stayed here until the afternoon when we were ordered to take up our position. The latter was situated just back of Fort Liouville, one of the forts defending Toul. To get to it the road led over a hill in clear view of the enemy, then down into a gully and up a very steep hill to the position, the latter part including a much shelled hair-pin curve easily enfiladed by Boche guns. The carriages were started off one at a time, at ten minute intervals, under cover of a thick mist. The hair-pin curve of the Fort Liouville Hill almost proved our Waterloo. Carriage after carriage got stuck there. At one time as many as eight carriages were stalled. But our luck was with us. For some unaccountable reason the Boche did not shell the road all that afternoon, a thing which he had done every day during the preceding week, and which he did with a particular viciousness every day of the week following. By dusk our guns were all "laid in," and the horses and limbers were safely away.

The position was well defiladed just under the crest of the hill. Its dugouts were very strong with their protection of crushed rock, and their strength was amply proved by six direct hits which failed to

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