Russians on the _qui vive_, although
they had been warned beforehand to maintain strict silence.

The first step in the proceedings was for the officers commanding the
various regiments to call for volunteers prepared to undertake the task
of preceding the main body of the stormers in order to cut a way through
the lines of wire entanglements, and to sever the electric cables
connecting the innumerable ground mines with the forts. Volunteers were
invited to step six paces to the front, and in the majority of cases the
entire regiment appealed to advanced six paces with the precision and
promptitude of a parade evolution. Under such circumstances there was,
of course, but one thing to be done, and that was for each captain to
choose a certain number of men--those he considered best adapted for the
work--and detail them for the duty.

These men, a veritable Forlorn Hope, discarding knapsacks, greatcoats,
everything in the shape of impedimenta, even their weapons, and armed
only with a stout pair of wire-cutting nippers, dashed out of the ranks
like unleashed greyhounds at the word of command, and with a great shout
of "Banzai Nippon!" went running and leaping through the fields of young
barley, each eager to outdistance all the others. And as they went, the
crash of their own and the enemy's artillery, the fire of which had been
languishing, burst forth afresh, mingled with the hammering of
machine-guns and the rolling volleys of rifle-fire. In a moment the
whole of the ground over which the pioneers would have to pass was being
swept by a crossfire of lead in which it seemed impossible that anything
could live. Man after man was seen to go down, yet still his comrades
pressed on, in ever-diminishing numbers, until at length a mere handful
staggered up to the first line of wire entanglements, and there fell,
riddled with bullets, their task unaccomplished.

But not for a moment did their fate discourage those who were detailed
to follow them. Like racers they dashed forward, in widely extended
order, now leaping high in the air and anon crouching almost double in a
vain effort to dodge that terrible inexorable hail of bullets, and again
man after man went crashing to the ground while other panting, gasping,
breathless men staggered and stumbled past the prostrate figures, intent
upon one purpose only, to reach that line of wire and sever a few of the
entanglements before yielding up their lives. And a few of them