Earl. "That shell tore a hole in the
ground about six feet deep and spilled about ten cubic yards of dirt on
top of you."

At this moment two stretcher-bearers arrived on the spot to take Leon
back to the rear, but he refused to go.

"I'm all right," he exclaimed. "I only had a lot of dirt piled on me
and that didn't do me any harm. Besides there is too much going on and
I don't want to miss any of it."

The bearers withdrew and Leon went back to his ditch. He was rapidly
recovering his strength and began to dig his two German overcoats out
from under the pile of dirt. He bedded them down in the crater made by
the shell and made himself quite comfortable.

"Come over here, Earl," he shouted a moment later. "This crater is
much larger and safer than your ditch and lightning never strikes twice
in the same place you know."

Earl soon joined his brother and with him came Dubois the man who had
helped to dig out Leon. There was plenty of room for all three and for
a time they felt quite secure. Soon however the shells began to fall
thicker and faster all about them.

"What did you say about lightning?" demanded Dubois at length.

"The shells are getting pretty close, aren't they?" said Leon anxiously.

"Yes," said Dubois, "and to my mind it's only a question of time before
one lands on us. This isn't old-fashioned lightning you know."

"They certainly seem to be getting the range all right," exclaimed
Earl. "I don't see what we can do though. We can't leave our post."

"No," agreed Leon. "We certainly can't go back."

"We can go ahead though," said Dubois.

"What do you mean?" demanded Leon puzzled by his comrade's remark.

"Do you remember that little German trench about forty yards ahead of
us out here?"

"Yes."

"Well why can't we go out and take possession of that?"

"Just the three of us?" demanded Earl.

"Why, yes," replied Dubois. "You will remember that there has been no
firing from that spot all day. It is probably empty."

"Do you think we can reach it?" exclaimed Leon eagerly.

"Why not? It is very close and yet we'll not be fired upon by the
Boches. If we remain here it is but a question of time before we are
entirely wiped out. What do you say?"

"I say to go," replied Leon at once.

"And I too," echoed Earl.

"Come then," urged Dubois and without waiting another moment he crawled
up out of the crater and started across the space intervening between
them and the Germ