_--How? Why, under cover of darkness, either by putting
a line of men to form a screen and keep up firing with men
digging behind, or by digging a trench at right angles, and
making a T. The first method is mostly used as it is
quicker, but more casualties occur.
"_Q. No. 8._--Do you have any fear of air raids over the
trenches?
"_A._--No, because a trench is too small an object to be
likely to be hit by a bomb dropping from a height. The
flying men would very possibly hit their own people instead.
However they drop them on our rest billets. We get used to
the shells, and this is only another way of presenting them.
"_Q. No. 9._--What about gas?
"_A._--They very seldom use it now. Our helmets are so
efficient, they cannot do any harm in sending it over. They
might catch one or two who were slow in getting their
helmets on, but we have gongs to give warning."
One Young Man's Leave
CHAPTER XI
ONE YOUNG MAN'S LEAVE
He again writes:
"We had done two days out of our six in the trenches a
little south of Albert. They were in such a state that it
was impossible to walk from one post to another. The mud was
over our knees and all communication was cut off by day. At
night we fetched our rations, water, and rum by going over
the top--a little sought-after job, for Fritz was most
active and cover scarce.
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