line, and that they should leave theirs here to give us the lines of
fire."

"Of course," interrupted the other colonel; "but what are you doing
now? You can't get your line with those things."

"I'm trying to do the best I can, sir, until my own aiming-posts
arrive."

"Yes, but it's hopeless trying to fix those ridiculous things in the
same positions as the aiming-posts. Who was it gave the order to remove
the aiming-posts?"

"The subaltern who was waiting for us to relieve your battery, sir."

"The battery commander wasn't here then?"

"No, sir. I believe he'd gone on ahead to the waggon lines."

"I'm exceedingly sorry this has happened," said the other colonel,
turning to our colonel. "I'll have the battery commander and the other
officer up here at once, and they can go forward with your officer when
he registers the guns again. It's disgraceful. I'll stop their next
leave for this." He disappeared into the battery telephone pit to send
through orders for the recalling of the delinquent officers.

"Not a bad idea to make an inspection round the day after you have
handed over," remarked our colonel to me drily. "This is rather an
instructive example."

These were our last days of waiting and wondering whether the Boche
would attack; of the artillery duels and the minor raids by which each
side sought to feel and test the other's strength. I recall two or
three further incidents of our stay in that part of the line. The
G.O.C., R.A., of Corps decided that a rare opportunity presented itself
for training junior officers in quick picking up of targets, shooting
over open sights, and voice-command of batteries from near
sighting-places where telephone wires could be dispensed with and
orders shouted through a megaphone. "It will quite likely come to
that," he observed. "The next fighting will be of the real open warfare
type, and the value of almost mechanical acquaintance with drill is
that the officer possessing such knowledge can use all his spare brains
to deal with the changing phases of the actual battle." So a single
18-pdr. used to be pulled out for practice purposes, and Generals and
infantry officers came to see gunner subalterns schooled and tested. It
was better practice than Shoeburyness or Larkhill, because though the
shoots were carried out on the gunnery school model the shells were
directed at real targets. During one series a distinguished red-tabbed
party was dispersed because the Hun did an