reconnoiler for new positions. Captain Reed was to
follow with the battalion at 10 to a point near the Abri
de Crochet. The infantry had captured this important
and pleasant place a day or two before. On the map it
appeared as a crossroads. It was, one estimated, scarcely
1000 meters from the front line.
That distance, it was expected, would soon he decidedly widened. It was to some extent, but for a time now the progress of our infantry, was reduced to nearly nothing. There were a number of reasons. The effect of the rush was over. The men were tired. Every battalion had had serious losses. While the Germans gathered themselves for a stand, several divisions—probably nearly 200,000 men were rushed to their support. In addition to these fresh odds, the country had become if anything more difficult than at first. Then before the advance could get fairly started once more the affair of the Lost Battalion helped hold things up. But on this day of Major Easterday's reconnaissance the advance continued, if slowly.
The battalion halted short of the crossroads while Captains Reed, Dana, and Ravenel, and Lieutenant Kane rode forward to find the major. When, after some time, they joined him, he said he had chosen positions a kilometer and a half to the rear. Coming up the battery commanders had seen these positions, and they were by no means enthusiastic. Major Easterday as usual was ready to weigh the opinions of his battery commanders. Captain Reed meantime bad pushed through a fringe of trees and had seen positions on a slope to the right which he believed had possibilities, if a small amount of cutting should be done. Major Easterday approved and with the battery commanders studied the ground more closely, locating positions in which no cutting at all was necessary. in the altogether delightful Abri de Crochet.
