y their opponents, the
remainder proceed on their way. Many are the temptations to dawdle,
instead of getting on with the work, so much of interest is taking
place around them, including the amusing, and at that time not too
frequent, sight of scores of the enemy, with uplifted hands, emerging
from pill boxes, where they must have been packed like sardines.

An auxiliary wire tapped into the main F.O.O. line is led to another
pill-box, now to be used as a new infantry headquarters for the time
being, and the party comes under the fire of a hostile machine gun
emplacement, which necessitates their lying in a shell-hole for a
while. On arrival there, the "mopping up" party is found still at
work, but it soon completes its grim task. The officer who has
proceeded with the infantry now sends his first message through to the
effect that the first objectives are taken, the wire fortunately
holding out well at the moment, every sound being clear and distinct.
The Lucas lamp is then fixed on top of the relay station, and
communications established in case the wire goes, but the morning
dawns in mist, and signalling by this method is unsatisfactory.

After a short pause, the infantry proceed on the second stage of their
adventure, the F.O.O. and party following up and laying out wire close
behind them. More messages are sent through to Brigade, and the wire
breaks on several occasions, but is speedily dealt with by the
linesmen, who are kept busy patrolling up and down the line.
Meanwhile, items of extreme interest are taking place around the
pill-pox of the Central Relay Station. Numerous batches of prisoners
are drifting back, for the most part unattended, composed entirely of
youths of nineteen and twenty years of age, the Guards having refused
to kill these babies, only "despatching" the older men, for the
Division up against them was very mixed, and may best be described as
a "dud" lot, and it did not put up much of a fight. The lads all look
weary and mud-stained, although there is an expression of relief (p. 054)
on their faces, as they steadily munch the bread that has been
good-naturedly handed to them by their captors, for they have been
starving for the past three days or so, no food having reached them on
account of the terrific bombardment. An aid-post is hastily placed in
a huge shell-hole close by, and the wounded straggle back; those who
are but slightly hit and can walk help each other along, while the
other