“I’m afraid, Corporal, you will need to repeat yourself somewhat for the benefit of those of us who were not present. Now then. You told Captain Henderson you had become detached from your unit some forty-eight hours before you came upon the village. Morales, I mean.”

“Yes, sir. I had gone foraging with Private Withrington. We had gone a mile or more when we found a farm and made arrangements with the farmer to have some potatoes.”

“What sort of arrangement was that I wonder?”

“Well, sir, I had a clay pipe to give him, and Withrington had a handkerchief.”

“Very proper. So you obtained your potatoes.”

“Yes, sir. But when we set off back we met with the enemy who started sniping us from the woods. We returned fire and kept moving as best we could but we hadn’t much in the way of cover and after a while Private Withrington was shot in the belly. Down here, on the right. I did what I could for him but I doubt the surgeon could have saved him and he was gone soon enough.”

“I am very sorry to hear it. How did you escape?”

“It was coming on dark, sir. I stayed where I was and kept my head down. I shot at any of the enemy who showed themselves. When it was properly dark I set off again to find the others but finding no sign of them and knowing the enemy was about I decided I should make my way as best I could.”

“And how did you know which way to go?”

“It was a clear night, sir. I found the North Star. I made that my guide.”

“And that was well done, Calley. Now let us come to the village.”

“That was the next night, sir. I saw the light of the fires.”

“You were still alone?”

“I was, sir.”

“You must have been wary. It could have been the enemy in the village.”

“I was wary, sir. I found a place I could look down on them without risk of being seen.”

“You were perhaps on the same hill as the witnesses.”

“It may be, sir. But I didn’t see anyone else there.”

“What did you see?”

“Houses on fire. Men running to and fro.”

“The men were soldiers?”

“Yes, sir.”

“They were ours?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Did you speak to any?”

“No, sir.”

“Why not?”

“I didn’t know how they would take to me.”

“So how did you know they were ours?”

“By their oaths, sir.”

“You could hear that from where you were?”

“I could.”

“And could you identify them? What were their uniforms?”

“With respect, sir, by this time men were wearing whatever they could find to keep them warm. There wasn’t much red and white left. Long coats if they had them. Scarves round their heads. I’d say it was men from different regiments.”

“Men who had become lost like you?”

“I suppose so, sir.”