try challenged,
"Halt--hands up." Up went the General's hands in prompt compliance.
"Advance one, and give the countersign," continued the sentry. The
General turned to the Intelligence Officer, "What is the countersign
to-day?" said he. "Really I am afraid I have forgotten," replied the
Intelligence Officer, and both referred to the Colonel. "When I left my
headquarters, it had not yet come through," was his reply. The sentry
remained obdurate. Then followed explanations, and, after some parley
and identifications, the party were allowed to proceed. As they were
leaving, the General hurried again to the sentry, saying, "Well, my man,
you might just tell us now what the pass-word is." "I am sorry, sir,"
was his reply, "but I haven't the least idea."

About this time the spy peril was rather rife. We had orders not to
leave our lines without revolvers, for protection against assassination
by spies. To one particular "hush-hush" spot rode up a General with his
Staff Officer, both faultlessly attired, accompanied by the usual
Orderly. The General asked to be shown round, and his request was
conceded with the thoroughness and courtesy due to his high rank. His
inspection completed, the General expressed his thanks, and the party
rode away, never to be heard of again,--at least not in that capacity.
Shortly afterwards, a notorious spy was seen working as a coolie in the
Egyptian Labour Corps. Perhaps he was the General.

The monotony of trench life was varied by occasional raids into the
enemy trenches. Some very successful raids were carried out on the
enemy's defences near the sea, especially at Beach Post, and other
successful raids were made from the Apex upon the advanced trenches of
the Sihan group of works. Mutual bombardments frequently enlivened the
proceedings, the supremacy in which undoubtedly lay with our artillery.
These never allowed a day to pass without doing some firing, and they
had sniping guns ever ready to fire on any movement that might be seen
in enemy territory. The enemy guns, largely manned by Austrians,
reserved their fire for concentrated bombardments; evidently they were
less able to replenish their supplies of ammunition.

The sector of the front line which fell to our lot to hold was a portion
of the Apex. Our front line companies manned a continuous system of
trenches, while the reserve company and headquarters occupied dug-outs
dug into, or constructed with sand bags upon, the steep slopes