explosives would land at short intervals on one of these. The resulting
casualties were extraordinarily few, but it was hair-raising to see--as
we often did--a mounted man, or a gharry with its pair of mules and
Indian driver, suddenly blotted out in the dust and smoke of a huge
burst, to reappear, when the cloud cleared, moving on its way as
unconcernedly as if nothing had happened. But the next rider or driver
to pass this particular spot generally made a slight detour.

The Rest Camps were also favoured with a few shells at all sorts of odd
times. Some units lost quite a number of men in this way. In this
respect we were more fortunate than most of our neighbours, for although
we had several men hit while out on fatigue we had in the whole three
weeks--if we are not mistaken--only one man wounded actually in Rest
Camp. This comparative immunity we attributed to our lines being partly
screened from the view of the enemy's observing stations by the low
lying crest to the north. Still we had several thrilling half-hours when
shrapnel spraying over our lines compelled us to lie low. Only once in
these weeks were we treated to a dose of high explosives. This happened
about seven one morning when most of the officers were at breakfast in
the swimming-bath mess room. Six big "coal-boxes" were hurled on us in
rapid succession. One exploded near our mule lines just beyond the
Quartermaster's dump, doing no damage to speak of; a second landed and
burst right inside a trench occupied by several of the Headquarters
signallers. We thought they were all wiped out, but, miraculously, not a
man was hurt. They were even laughing--somewhat nervously, it must be
admitted--as they scrambled out of the ruined trench. Another shell
exploded about 30 yards short of our mess, leaving a symmetrical
saucer-shaped crater about 6 feet in diameter and a little over 2 feet
deep in the centre. Its dust showered over us and covered our unfinished
meal with a thick layer. It had been an unusually attractive breakfast
too! The other three shells were "duds."

Training of any kind was impossible. There was no ground unswept by fire
on which to train. Two or three men might move across the open with
impunity, but the appearance at any point of even a small party, say a
group standing or sitting in the pathways between the rest trenches,
often drew fire. Still the men got plenty of exercise, though it was of
a kind not exactly popular with the average i