THE INVISIBLE HAND It was a brilliant morning sun, deepening the green of the pleasant land, lighting up villages and glinting off church steeples.

In a field a little distance to their right John saw two peasants at work already, bent over, their eyes upon the ground, apparently as indifferent to the troops as the troops were to them.
It was very early, but the sun was rising fast, unfolding a splendid panorama.

The French army with its blues and reds was more spectacular than the German, and hence afforded a more conspicuous target.

John was sure that if the war went on the French would discard these vivid uniforms and betake themselves to gray or khaki.

He saw clearly that the day of gorgeous raiment for the soldier had passed.
The great puffing sound of primeval monsters which had blended into one rather harmonious note ceased, as if by signal, and the innumerable motors stopped.