He judged that it was now an artillery battle, with the foes perhaps three or four miles apart, and, leaving the willows, he crept out upon the bank.

It was the side held by the Germans, but he knew that if he attempted to swim the river to the other bank he would be taken with cramps and would drown.
There was a little patch of long grass about ten yards from the river, and, crawling to it, he lay down.

The grass rose a foot high on either side of him, but the sun, bright and hot, shone directly down upon his face and body.

It felt wonderfully good after that long submersion in the Marne.

Removing all his heavy wet clothing, he wrung the water out of it as much as he could, and lay back in a state of nature, for both himself and his clothing to dry.