ntered, the soldier's eye went over the room and lit on the
very men in question, seated by themselves in a little side room of the
inn. In a low tone he communicated his thought to his companions.
"Blime me, I'll eat your mother-in-law if there ain't our meat!" There
was about 20 in the bunch, and they did not waste time in consultation.
At once they were in the anteroom, confronting these men.

"What do you want?" gruffly asked the Major.

"We have to come to tell you, sir, that the O.C. wants to see you and
the Captain at once."

"All right, tell your O.C. we will be over directly."

"'E wants you now, sir."

"Well, didn't you hear me say we'd be over there shortly?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, damn you, tell him so, and I'll see that you are taken care of
for your impertinence."

"I don't mean to be impertinent, sir, but I'm here to see that you come
and come now."

Like a flash both men drew their revolvers, but before they had a chance
to use them, the entire bunch was on top of them, and it was a somewhat
mussed up Major and Captain that appeared before the O.C. at the
headquarters of the Tommies who sleuthed them. The intuition of the
soldier proved correct; with absolute certainty he had falconed his prey
and the prize was his.

And he was as good as his word. What that bunch didn't have to eat and
drink while the money lasted wasn't purchaseable at the front.

CHAPTER XVII

VIMY

With Vimy Ridge in the possession of the Germans, their access for
observation placed us at a decided disadvantage; the Lens-Arras, the
Mont St. Eloi road--all vital feeding routes for our system--were
absolutely open to his inspection at all hours of the day or night;
there was no movement along these channels of communication of either
men, guns, ammunition, supplies of any kind, of which they were not
fully cognizant. So it will be seen that the possession of this
elevation was of wonderful advantage to the side holding it.

One of the chief gains to be derived from its possession was the control
of the vast coal mines of Lens, one of the richest coal producing
sections in France, and the benefit of which has been in German hands
since the gray rush first went through. And the possession of the output
of these mines gave Fritz a priceless advantage over us. His overlooking
position also made it impossible for us to work in the daytime the few
coal mines that we had; neither could we supply our guns with the
nece