individual dugout, and Dodds sleeps
"topside" in the trench. To all this, put in a background of anxiety
lest the line break, for we are just where it broke before.

Tuesday, April 27th, 1915.

This morning again registering batteries on new points. At 1.30 a heavy
attack was prepared by the French and ourselves. The fire was very heavy
for half an hour and the enemy got busy too. I had to cross over to
the batteries during it, an unpleasant journey. More gas attacks in the
afternoon. The French did not appear to press the attack hard, but in
the light of subsequent events it probably was only a feint. It seems
likely that about this time our people began to thin out the artillery
again for use elsewhere; but this did not at once become apparent. At
night usually the heavies farther back take up the story, and there is
a duel. The Germans fire on our roads after dark to catch reliefs and
transport. I suppose ours do the same.

Wednesday, April 28th, 1915.

I have to confess to an excellent sleep last night. At times anxiety
says, "I don't want a meal," but experience says "you need your food,"
so I attend regularly to that. The billet is not too safe either. Much
German air reconnaissance over us, and heavy firing from both sides
during the day. At 6.45 we again prepared a heavy artillery attack, but
the infantry made little attempt to go on. We are perhaps the "chopping
block", and our "preparations" may be chiefly designed to prevent
detachments of troops being sent from our front elsewhere.

I have said nothing of what goes on on our right and left; but it is
equally part and parcel of the whole game; this eight mile front is
constantly heavily engaged. At intervals, too, they bombard Ypres. Our
back lines, too, have to be constantly shifted on account of shell fire,
and we have desultory but constant losses there. In the evening rifle
fire gets more frequent, and bullets are constantly singing over us.
Some of them are probably ricochets, for we are 1800 yards, or nearly,
from the nearest German trench.

Thursday, April 29th, 1915.

This morning our billet was hit. We fire less these days, but still
a good deal. There was a heavy French attack on our left. The "gas"
attacks can be seen from here. The yellow cloud rising up is for us a
signal to open, and we do. The wind is from our side to-day, and a good
thing it is. Several days ago during the firing a big Oxford-grey dog,
with beautiful brown