his front as best we could; mine was the only battery left working on
this particular sector. Our fellows went out and met Fritz in a
hand-to-hand argument, backing up their contention so thoroughly with
the cold steel that they sent him flying back to the line he had
established at Sanctuary Woods.

But it was necessary, in order to keep him quiet, to keep up a barrage.
Our ammunition had run down to a point where we had only fourteen shells
left, and we received orders to hold two high explosive shells, one for
the muzzle and another for the breech of the gun, to put it out of
business in case they broke through.

If it became necessary to resort to the expedient of blowing up the gun,
it would be done by placing a shell in the breech of the chamber, the
breech closed, another shell inside the muzzle, the lanyard fastened to
the firing lever and strung out of the front pit door for a distance of
25 or 30 feet to a large tree standing at our rear, fastened to the
tree, and when retreating pull it from there, blowing the gun and the
gun pit into as many pieces.

We took all precautions when it became likely that we were going to be
overpowered and there was a chance of Fritz taking our gun. It is rarely
necessary to take this precaution nowadays, nor has it been for the last
two years; the shoe is on the other foot now and the returns showing
the number of heavy German guns that we have captured within the last
two years and a half, together with the fact that not a single British
gun has been lost, shows how well the work is in hand on the Western
Front.

[Illustration: Over the Top]

With their unexcelled means of observation, they soon discovered where
our little battery was hidden, and decided to end the argument with our
troublemaker there and then.

A smothering fire burst upon us, and one of the shells clipped a large
tree as easily as if it had been done with a giant razor, and it crashed
down directly in front of our gun, putting it out of business for the
time being.

In a few minutes more another shell landed on the gun forty feet to our
left, ending its usefulness, killing the crew to a man and leaving but
two guns working; a few moments more and another lit in the
telephonists' pit fifteen feet to our rear, wiping out three or four of
the fellows on duty there. Lord! it was getting hot!

We were then ordered to "Stand Down" (take cover), as the fire was
getting hotter each second and it had all t