now what that means."

The telephone orderly, situated in a trench almost underneath the
observer's tree, smiled consolingly, "That's all right, sir," he said.
"I can ring up the battery in a second when the 'Uns come, as they ought
to in a minute."

He had hardly spoken when they came. The subaltern could see them quite
distinctly at the turnings of the trench, and at other times an
occasional head or rifle showed itself. "God!" said the subaltern, "if
we search that trench with shrapnel, we must get heaps of them," and he
issued a hurried order. Trembling in his excitement, he awaited the
report "Just fired, sir," but nothing happened. The orderly called and
called the battery, but there was no reply. The wire was cut!

Half an hour later, the Battery Major came across his Observing Officer
and a sergeant gazing dismally at two ends of cut wire.

"I was just coming down to see what was the matter. I hear from the
Brigade that some doddering idiot has cut our wire. Who in the hell was
it?"

"I don't know, sir. All I know is that I have seen a wonderful target,
and couldn't fire a round at it. The relief's over by now, and, as we
leave this sector to-night, we've lost a priceless chance."

"It must be some wretched infantry blighter," said the Major. "I'll just
go and have a talk to their C.O.," and he hurried off to the Colonel's
dug-out, leaving the Observer to lament his lost target.

The C.O. smiled soothingly. "My dear Wilson," he said to the Major, "I
don't think it could have been one of our men. They have been warned so
often. What do you say, Richards?" he asked the Adjutant.

"Well, sir, I'm not sure. I saw that young fellow Smith with some wire
about half an hour ago, but I don't expect he did it. I'll send for him
to make sure."

Second Lieutenant Archibald Smith certainly looked harmless enough. He
was thin and freckled, and his big blue eyes gazed appealingly through
his glasses.

"Where did you get that wire you had just now?" asked the Adjutant.

Smith beamed. "I got it just behind the wood, sir. There's a lot of old
wi ..." but the Major interrupted him. "That's the place," he cried
excitedly. "Well, what the devil did you go cutting my wire for?"

Archibald Smith looked at him in alarmed fascination. "I didn't think it
was any good, sir. I wa-wanted some string, and...."

"What did you want string for? Were you going to hang yourself to the
roof of your dug-out?"

"No, sir. I wanted to