of the bombardment.
'They've come to fetch the guns,' howled Sean. 'Saul, they've come for
the guns. ' Without knowin how he had done it, mad with the excitement
of it, Sean found himself out of the ditch, running with new strength,
running with Saul's unconscious weight slung over his shoulder, running
through the grass towards the guns.
By the time he reached the battery the first team was already there.
The men were down struggling to back the horses up to the trail of the
Number One gun. Sean slid the inert body from his shoulder and dropped
it in the grass. Two of them were trying to lift the trail of the
field gun, but this task required four men.
'Get out of the way!' Sean shouted at them and straddled the long
wedge-shaped trail of steel. He locked his hands into the grips and
heaved upwards, lifting it clear and high.
'Get the carriage.' Quickly they rolled the detachable axle and wheels
in under the trail and locked them into position.
Sean stepped back panting.
'Well done!' The young officer leaned forward in his saddle as he
shouted at Sean. 'Get up on the carriage.
But Sean turned and ran to Saul, he picked him up and stumbled with him
to the carriage.
'Grab him! ' he grunted at the two soldiers who were already aboard.
Between them they dragged Saul up on to the carriage seat.
'No room for you, cock. Why don't you take Taffy's place on the
right-hand wheeler?' one of them shouted down, and Sean saw he was
correct. The drivers were mounting up, but one saddle was empty.
'Look after him,' he told the man who held Saul.
'Don't worry, I've got him,' the gunner assured him, and then
urgently,
'You'd best grab a seat-we're pulling out.'
'Look after him,' Sean repeated and started forward.
In that moment the luck which had protected him all morning ran out. A
shell burst beside him. He felt no pain but his right leg gave under
him and he went down on his knees.
He tried to stand but his body would not obey.
'Forward! ' shouted the subaltern, and the gun carriage trundled away,
gathering speed, beginning to jolt and bounce as the drivers lashed the
horses. Sean saw the gunner who held Saul staring back at him from the
carriage, his face was contorted with helplessness.
'Look after him! ' Sean shouted. 'Promise me you'll look after him. '
The gunner opened his mouth to reply, but another shell burst between
them, throwing up a curtain of dust that hid the carnage. This time
Sean felt the shrapnel tear into his flesh. It stung like the cut of a
razor and he sagged sideways. As he went down he saw that the
subaltern had been hit as well. Saw him throw up his arms and fall
backwards over the rump of his horse, rolling from the saddle, hitting
the ground with his shoulder, one foot caught in the stirrup so that he
dragged over the rough ground until the stirrup leather snapped and
left him lying. His horse galloped away in pursuit of the careering
gun carriage.
