tion on the deserted platform--Manniers.

As I was leaving the dump, thinking of a possible future, and what a
lovely explosion one well-directed bomb would make, I heard some one
coming towards me. At once hopping off the road I crouched against one
of the shell heaps where the darkness was more dense, my weight
causing the wicker to creak. But the seemingly deaf individual passed
by and I breathed again. Entering the main village street at a good
pace, whistling a German tune, I was accosted by two Huns carrying a
heavy basket on a stick. One inquired of me the way to some
headquarters. I dared not stop, so turning my head, growled out a
sullen "_Ich weiss nicht_" (I don't know). They seemed grieved at my
bad manners, but were soon left behind. Although it was very late a
number of troops were still singing uproariously in the various
estaminets which I passed. On turning a corner I saw the village
bridge and on it a sentry box. While I stood in the dark shadow of a
house a small party of Germans, carrying saddlery, overtook me.
Tacking myself on casually behind some of them we all passed over the
bridge quite happily, and feeling in a cheeky mood I wished the sentry
"good evening."

Once more I was passing swiftly over the country, devoutly hoping
there would not be any more canals. Several hours passed uneventfully.
Some of the concrete paths leading in the right direction afforded
excellent walking. They were mostly new and appeared to be only laid
on the mud without any foundation. On a small rise I came upon a
trench system under construction (probably the now famous Hindenburg
line), which I examined. The few dug-outs I saw were incomplete, the
trenches rather wet and shallow and not yet sandbagged. After crossing
two lines of more or less continuous trenches I inspected the wire
entanglements, wooden posts (charred, so as not to show up in aerial
photographs) and iron corkscrews which were already in position, but
only a little fine and barbed wire as yet, which was quite easy to get
through. Although the firing had died down it continued sufficiently
to enable me to keep my direction. Just as I was leaving these
trenches behind my progress was arrested by a sudden jerk, and I found
myself lying face downwards full length in the mud. A carefully laid
wire had tripped its first "Englaender"! I was now plastered with mud
from head to foot, and getting up in a very bad temper determined that
at least that portio