pers are nasty fellers, 'demned annoyin',' as my ole friend Claud
says. One keeps hittin' my loop-'ole, but I'm going to 'ave the dirty
ole rascal's blood to-night. Now, ta ta, old girl. Love to the
children.--Your ole friend,

"BILL BUSTER.

"_P.S._--Lend me a quid. What a thirst I've got. We can generally buy
rum from the sailors. Make it two quid an' I'll send you a lot of
kurios.

"_P.P.S._--I needs tobacco--couple of pounds 'll do. An' throw in some
cigarettes. Wot a life!

"_P.P.P.S._--x x x x x x x x. These are for you--don't tell yer hubby.
Bye-bye."

That night Claud spotted Bill crawling out of the trenches.

"Where are you going, you silly ass?"

"Who's silly?" said Bill, looking back at his friend in the trench.

Ping! went a bullet from the sniper. It went right through his
trousers, but missed his leg.

"It's that feller I'm after."

Before Claud could detain him he disappeared. Dropping on to his
knees, he crawled for some distance, then lay flat.

Ping went the sniper's bullet again. He saw the flash. This
incidentally revealed the position of the Turk. Fixing his bayonet,
Bill made a wide detour, At last he arrived in rear of his object.

Ping! went the rifle again. So intent was the sniper on his job that
he did not hear the crawling man behind. Like a snake, Bill wriggled
along. He finished up ten yards behind his man. This sniper had
killed and wounded thirty men in two days. He did not deserve a quick
dispatch, and Bill had no intention of giving him that. With a bound,
he jumped on him, and pinned him right through the shoulders with his
bayonet.

"Allah! Allah!" shrieked the man, in the most dreadful pain.

"Old Allah ain't no good to you now. Get up!" And he was lifted up
with the bayonet.

When he rose from the ground Bill found he had a green bush tied all
round him. His face and hands were afterwards found to be painted
green. All this the Turks had acquired from their German masters.

"Now, old cock, run!" said Bill, pushing the man in front.

Screaming with pain the sniper was pushed at the double right up to the
Australian trench.

"What's all that row there?" roared the Colonel.

"Jest been catchin' a sniper, Colonel," answered Bill, throwing his man
off the bayonet into the trench. He dropped dead at the Colonel's feet.

"A good death for him, too," said Sam, thinking of the fine fellows
this man had killed and wounded. A sniper, let