If he had tried to slip back to the rear it would have been the end of him.

But he continued with us.
And all this while a great force gathered at our rear--gathered and grew--Indian and British infantry.

Guns by the fifty were brought forward under cover of the night and placed in line behind us.
Ranjoor Singh continued talking with the enemy, lying belly downward in the mud, and they kept throwing printed stuff to us that we turned in to our officers.

But the Germans did not attack.

And the force behind us grew.
Then one evening, just after dusk, we were all amazed by the news that the assault was to come from our side.