crashing noise was heard as
the old man with a quarter of a ton of slag went tobogganing down the
stone-shod slope.

"'This _is_ the spot,' Tommy said tersely. And up to us came hoarse
whispered curses as our ole man tongue-lashed us for a full minute in
gross and detail.

"'Lie quite still, Colonel,' I whispered, 'the Hun swine-dogs may send
up a flare if they hear us.'

"But no flare flared, and no sniper sniped.

"'This game gives me the blooming creeps,' old Tommy muttered
shudderingly, thinking of Huns and guns three miles deep all round.
After that the Colonel struggled clear of the 'alf ton of slag atop o'
him. Tommy and I wandered a little more until we got down to the old
man. Here we halted. 'Here's the place where we left the dead spy,' said
Tommy, his eyes peering into the darkness of the V-shaped cutting. 'I
can still see Fritz lying in the corner. We had better get right over
_this_ side. Come on!'

"'I see,' said the Colonel. 'This is the key of the position. It
overlooks the German trenches and when the spy was using his flash lamp
he could not be observed by the men in our lines.'

"'Good thing we short-circuited his little game,' reflected Tommy
hugging an arm full of rockets.

"'Ah!' says he, fingering the electric torch. 'How this game of war
makes one think. My 'orizon has indeed broadened. Just to think that a
few flashes from this little chap will mean more than all those
glittering stars above to the German fellows in the trenches over there.
It's simply ridiculous to waste our little concert on a few Huns in the
trenches to-night. We must socialise the whole blooming show. We must
get the head up of all the Huns for miles around. Let us consult the
code book,' he said, and then opening it he read out some of the rocket
codes. They all seemed simple enough. But he had some difficulty in
finding the one he wanted, having first of all of course to translate
them into English; but presently he seized upon the one he wanted, he
repeated it over with delight:

"'_Two green rockets in rapid succession mean: "Enemy making active
preparations for offensive movement" and when followed after a suitable
interval by a single red rocket, mean: "Enemy will attack without
delay."_'

"'Touch off two green rockets, McNab, if you please,' said the Colonel
with a tremor in his voice.

"I touched off two three-pounders which rose several thousand yards, and
burst into bunches of gorgeous stars. A faint