't 'e a little dear?" The little dear with
a cracked jaw, and a face reminiscent of Hindenburg on the morning
after, looked the part. . . .

But I have neglected Samuel Pipston. As I mentioned, he was a bomber,
and he was also excited. In the general confusion and darkness he got
parted from the rest of the gallant band, and found himself in a bit of
trench alone save for a large and morose sapper who was tenderly
nursing a mobile charge of several pounds of ammonal. Away in front
the noise and shouting and the crack of bursting bombs was getting
fainter, and Samuel was undecided. He had explored a little
_cul-de-sac_ on his own, and had drawn blank; and at the moment he was
in the unfortunate predicament of thirsting for blood and being unable
to get any. In front the trench was being cleared up; behind it had
been cleared up; wherefore Samuel stood undecided, and cursed fluently.

"Shut yer mouth"--the morose sapper gripped his arm--"an' listen. I
heard some of the swine, I reckons."

Silently the two men stood in the trench, and suddenly from close at
hand there came the noise of a man climbing a dug-out shaft. It was
exactly as a faint cry of "'Ow's yer father?" came from a long way off
that a curtain just beside them moved, and a man, crouching slightly,
came out of a screened dug-out shaft into the trench. It must be
remembered that neither of our warriors had a rifle, and that bombs and
ammonal charges are not weapons with which to tackle a man you can
touch. They are apt to be impartial to friend and foe alike. . . .
Resource was necessary, and it is at moments such as these that the
national instinct for games is so invaluable. There was a
psychological moment as the crouching man came up into the trench with
his rifle and bayonet, when his chin was in the perfect position:
moreover, the sapper was a full back of merit. He kicked hard and
true, and if any one doubts the effect of a service boot on the point
of the jaw, no doubt he can experiment with the matter--at a small
cost. The Bavarian fell forward as if he had been pole-axed, and
having relieved him of his rifle the sapper held forth.

"There's a ruddy dug-out full of 'em, mate, wot was missed." They
peered down the opening, where a faint light showed. "They think we've
gone on, and they're coming up to see. Look, there's one."

The shadow of a man showed grotesquely in the flickering light, and
Samuel quivered with excitement.

"I