p at the ridge
from that angle, pulled into the wagon lines for two days and then got
into action on the Lens-Arras road. We laid the guns on the side of the
road, camouflaging them in the usual fashion. We were the first
battalion to arrive, but within four days 100 or more batteries were
there. Our work here was to cut the wire in preparation for one of the
usual raids, to blind Fritz and keep him guessing where the drive was to
be launched. We performed our work flawlessly, the boys of the infantry
going over through the gaps we had made and capturing several machine
guns and prisoners.

On the second day following, the Captain asked me to go into the
trenches to assist him in observation work. We found after inspection
that the point we wanted to get our data upon could not be obtained
from the low-lying trenches, and the Captain, wondering where we had
best go, happened to get his fancy settled on a mine shaft. "We will go
up there, Grant," he said, and together we made our way to the spot. The
climb to the top was no easy matter, and when we got there we set about
making ourselves as comfortable as possible. As soon as we had our
apparatus working, the Captain commenced registering the cemetery, the
tombstones of which were being carried away by Fritz to place around his
dugouts. The Captain flashed the necessary information and in ten
minutes they were pretty thoroughly shot up.

The Captain then directed his attention to a trench digging party, sent
his compliments to the guns--would they kindly take care of the trench
digging party, which they did. Then we were spotted; in a few seconds we
were the recipients of a blast of machine-gun fire; a _minenwerfer_
dropped at the foot of the mine shaft, blowing the entire corner away,
and it became very evident the place was ours no longer, and we started
for the bottom.

In going down it was necessary for me to execute a sort of slide, as I
had to hang on with my hands while my feet were going down, and the
Captain, in his naturally human haste to get to a place of safety,
inadvertently trod on my fingers.

"For God's sake, Captain," I yelled, "get off my fingers!"

"Take your damned fingers out of my way!" replied the Captain.

"How can I? Your foot is on them!" He eased up a bit and I was able to
release my mangled fingers, but Lord! he weighed about 200 pounds.

Now Captain Black was a man who was absolutely afraid of nothing in
human shape; his fighting spi