red us several
times over, and I was led away to what I suppose they regarded as a
place of safety, until reports could be made concerning us.

I knew German fairly well, although I spoke it badly, and I tried to
get some information as to the plans concerning me; but I could get no
definite reply. It was bitterly cold, and in spite of all the Boches
had done to make their condition comfortable, it was no picnic. Mud
and slush abounded, and I heard the German soldiers complain one to
another that it was ten hours since they had tasted any food.

Then, suddenly, there was a tremendous boom, followed by a terrific
explosion, and although I was not wounded, I was wellnigh stunned. A
British shell had fallen close to where we were, and, as far as I could
judge, several Boches had been accounted for. A few seconds later,
there was a regular tornado.

As I have said our work that night was intended to be preparatory to a
big bombardment, and I had the misfortune to learn from the German
trenches what a British bombardment meant.

'_Gott in Himmel!_' said one of my captors, 'let's get away from this.'
Whereupon I was hurried on to what I supposed to be a safer place. A
few minutes later, I was descending what seemed to me a concrete
stairway, until I came to what struck me as a great cave, capable of
holding two or three hundred men.

As I entered, a German officer looked up from some papers he had been
examining, and saw us.

'What have you here?' he asked.

'English prisoners, sir.'

'Prisoners! what use have we for prisoners? Better put a bullet into
their brains. They will mean only so many more mouths to feed.'

'One is an officer, sir,' and the soldier nodded toward me.

'Ah well, he may be useful. But I have no time to deal with him now.
_Himmel!_ what's that?'

It was the noise of a tremendous explosion, and the whole place shook
as though there were an earthquake.

The captain gave some rapid instructions which I did not hear, and then
hurried away.

CHAPTER V

HOW A MAN WORKED A MIRACLE

Since then, I have been under some terrific bombardments, but up to
that time I had never experienced anything so terrible. Evidently our
big guns were turned on, and they had located the German trenches to a
nicety. Moreover, I judged that something serious was on hand, for it
continued hour after hour. Before long all lights went out, and I knew
by the hoarse cries which the Germans were making