o the map, he showed it me.

"That certainly looks a most excellent point, sir," I said. "What is the
distance from Bosche lines?"

"About 150 yards. They 'strafe' it considerably, from what I am told;
but, of course, you will have to take your chance, the same as all my
other officers."

"That is unavoidable, sir. The nature of my work does not permit me to
be in very comfortable places, if I am to get the best results."

"Right," he said, "if you will report to Brigade H.Q. the Brigade Major
will give you what orderlies you require, and you had better draw
rations with them while you are there. He has instructions to give you
every assistance."

"Oh, by the way, sir, what time does the mine go up?"

"Ten minutes to zero," he replied. "You quite understand, don't you?
Major ---- will give you zero time to-morrow night."

After lunching with the General I started off for Brigade H.Q. The
weather was vile. It had been raining practically without break for
several days, and was doing its best to upset everything and give us as
much trouble as possible.

What an enormous number of munition waggons and lorries I passed on the
road; miles and miles of them, all making for the front line. "Ye gods!"
I thought, "Bosche is certainly going to get it."

I reached my destination about 2.30. What a "strafe" there was going on!
The concussion of what I afterwards found out was our 15-inch howitzers
was terrible. The very road seemed to shake, and when I opened the door
of the temporary Brigade H.Q., one gun which went off close by shook the
building to such an extent that I really thought for the moment a shell
had struck the house.

"Captain ----, I presume?" said I, addressing an officer seated at a
long table making out reports and giving them over to waiting dispatch
riders. The room was a hive of industry.

"Gad, sir," he said, "are you the kinema man? I am pleased to see you.
Take a seat, and tell me what you want. You are the last person I
expected to see out here. But, seriously, are you really going to film
'The Day'?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Where do you propose to take it?"

"General ---- suggested 'Jacob's Ladder.'"

"What?" came a startled chorus from about half a dozen other officers.
"Take photos from 'Jacob's Ladder,'" they repeated in tones of
amazement. "Good Lord! it's an absolute death-trap. Bosche strafes it
every day, and it's always covered by snipers."

"Well," I said, "it certainly seems by