iving final instructions. Every
man was in his place. The first to go over would be the engineers, to
wire the crater. They were all ready, crouching down, with their
implements in their hands.

Time: 7.15 a.m.!

Heavens! how the minutes dragged. It seemed like a lifetime waiting
there. My nerves were strung up to a high pitch; my heart was thumping
like a steam-hammer. I gave a quick glance at an officer close by. He
was mopping the perspiration from his brow, and clutching his stick,
first in one hand then in the other--quite unconsciously, I am sure. He
looked at his watch. Another three minutes went by.

Would nothing ever happen?

CHAPTER XIV

THE DAY AND THE HOUR

A Mighty Convulsion Signalises the Commencement of
Operations--Then Our Boys "Go Over the Top"--A Fine Film
Obtained whilst Shells Rained Around Me--My Apparatus is
Struck--But, Thank Goodness, the Camera is Safe--Arrival of
the Wounded--"Am I in the Picture?" they ask.

Time: 7.19 a.m. My hand grasped the handle of the camera. I set my
teeth. My whole mind was concentrated upon my work. Another thirty
seconds passed. I started turning the handle, two revolutions per
second, no more, no less. I noticed how regular I was turning. (My
object in exposing half a minute beforehand was to get the mine from the
moment it broke ground.) I fixed my eyes on the Redoubt. Any second now.
Surely it was time. It seemed to me as if I had been turning for hours.
Great heavens! Surely it had not misfired.

Why doesn't it go up?

I looked at my exposure dial. I had used over a thousand feet. The
horrible thought flashed through my mind, that my film might run out
before the mine blew. Would it go up before I had time to reload? The
thought brought beads of perspiration to my forehead. The agony was
awful; indescribable. My hand began to shake. Another 250 feet exposed.
I had to keep on.

Then it happened.

[Illustration: THE OPENING OF THE GREAT BATTLE OF THE SOMME, JULY 1ST,
1916. AT 7.20 A. M. THIS HUGE MINE LOADED WITH 20 TONS OF AMINOL WHICH
TOOK 7 MONTHS TO MAKE, WAS SPRUNG UNDER THE GERMAN TRENCHES AT BEAUMONT
HAMEL]

The ground where I stood gave a mighty convulsion. It rocked and swayed.
I gripped hold of my tripod to steady myself. Then, for all the world
like a gigantic sponge, the earth rose in the air to the height of
hundreds of feet. Higher and higher it rose, and with a horrible,
grinding roar the earth fel