s on our immediate front:
enemy bombardment very heavy and continuing, but no infantry attack.
"We'll shave and have breakfast," the colonel said. "Looks as if the
actual attack must be farther north."

By 8 A.M. the shelling near us had died down. It was going to be a
lovely spring day, but there was a curiously heavy, clinging mist.
"Want to be careful of the gas shell-holes when the sun warms up," said
the doctor.

Fresh ammunition was coming up from the waggon lines, and our guns
continued to fire on arranged targets. The only additional casualty was
that of an officer of A Battery, who had had a piece of his ear chipped
off by a splinter, and had gone to a dressing station. The news from B
Battery aroused much more interest. An 8-inch shell had landed right on
top of their dug-out mess. No one was inside at the time, but three
officers, who were wont to sleep there, had had every article of kit
destroyed. One subaltern who, in spite of the PREPARE FOR ATTACK
notification, had put on pyjamas, was left with exactly what he stood
up in--viz., pyjamas, British warm, and gum-boots.

11 A.M.: The colonel had spoken more than once about the latest
situation to the brigade-major of the Infantry Brigade we were
covering, and to our own brigade-major. The staff captain had rung me
up about the return of dirty underclothing of men visiting the
Divisional Baths; there was a base paymaster's query regarding the
Imprest Account which I had answered; a batch of Corps and Divisional
routine orders had come in, notifying the next visits of the field
cashier, emphasising the need for saving dripping, and demanding
information as to the alleged damage done to the bark of certain trees
by our more frolicsome horses. Another official envelope I opened
showed that Records were worrying whether a particular regimental
sergeant-major was an acting or a temporary sergeant-major.

The doctor and the signalling officer had gone forward to visit the
batteries. Hostile shelling seemed to have died out. The mist was
denser than ever--a weather phenomenon that continued to puzzle.

The telephone bell tinkled again; the colonel turned from the big
map-board on the wall and took up the receiver. "Col. ----
speaking!--Yes!--Have they?--Sorry to hear that!--Umph!--No! no signs
of an attack on our front. Let me know any further
developments--Good-bye!"

He looked towards me and said briefly, "The Boche infantry have got
over on our left! Came