F 26 and failed to explode."

Sometimes names of shells go through several changes. For example, high
explosives in the early part of the war were called "black Marias," that
being the slang name for the English police patrol wagon. Then they were
called "Jack Johnsons," then "coal boxes," and finally they were
christened "crumps" on account of the sound they make, a sort of
_cru-ump!_ noise as they explode. "Rum jar" is the trench mortar.
"Sausage" is the slow-going aerial torpedo, a beastly thing about six feet
long with fins like a torpedo. It has two hundred and ten pounds of high
explosive and makes a terrible hole. "Whiz bang" is shrapnel.

Shelling is continuous. We have thousands of pieces of shells and fuse
caps about the premises. I have in front of me a fragment of a shell about
fourteen inches long and about four and one-half inches across, which came
from a German gun. The edges are so sharp that it cuts your hand to hold
it. I use it as a paper-weight.

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This morning I experienced a wonderful surprise. I had gone up to one of
the North Stafford Batteries to borrow a clinometer. The major, while he
was getting the instrument for me, casually remarked: "There's yesterday's
'Times' on the bench if you care to look at it." I turned first to the
casualty list and later to the "London Gazette" for the promotions, and
wholly by accident perused carefully the Motor Machine Gun Service list
and there noted the announcement, "Keene, Louis, 2d Lieut., to be 1st
Lieut.," and for a fact this was the "official" intimation that I had been
promoted. I had a couple of spare "pips", rank stars, in my pocket-book,
so I got my corporal to sew them on right away.

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We are all very happy at times, very dirty, and covered with stings and
bites; have no idea how long we are to remain up. Getting used to the
shell fire, and can sleep through it if it's not too close. When it comes
near it makes you very thoughtful. Still working at night and resting
during the day. Made another emplacement for one of my machine guns last
night; had twenty men digging; surprising how fast men dig when the
bullets are flying.

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It's about 2 A.M. We have just come in. My new emplacement is splendid;
we've made it shell-proof and have it ready for firing. I was coming home
this