about half past four
You never knew where he was , and most of the fighting there was duels between machine-gun parties . Some of the enemy got round behind us , and only a fine performance of a company of Cheshires saved a complete breakthrough . As for Lefroy , I do n't know how he stuck it out , and he does n't know himself , for he was galled all the time by that accursed flanking fire . I got a note about half past four saying that Wake had crossed the river , but it was some weary hours after that before the fire slackened . I tore back and forward between my wings , and every time I went north I expected to find that Lefroy had broken . But by some miracle he held . The Boches were in his battle-zone time and again , but he always flung them out .