The personality of my neighbor of Squad Nine, who
seemed much less interested in his life as a banker than I was. The
incalculable value of the pack as a life-saver, for having to lean
against the wall of the narrow trench, nothing but the roll on my back
kept me from the deadly chill of pneumonia. But most interesting of all
was the behavior of the men.

As we worked at digging the trench we naturally, being intelligent
volunteers, had many sub-directors, and much grumbling at so much
unofficial ordering. Randall, during one of his rests, delivered himself
with much disgust. "There never was an American," said he, "who could
take orders. Each man thinks he knows best. We need to learn to obey."
Well, once we were down in the trench, it was Randall's head that was
continually popping up, and continually being ordered down; and it was
Randall who would light cigarettes, though ordered not to. An hour and
three quarters is a long time to wait, and the cramped space was very
tiring. Further, we were excited by the sound of firing, I suppose from
the driving in of the detachment which the lieutenant had taken off to
the east, so of course everyone wanted to see. In addition, our two
sergeants, who have none too much authority, were together at one end of
the platoon, away from the most impatient of the men, and so were quite
unable to control Randall and other restless spirits. Randall, arguing
that no one could see _him_, would pop up his head, others imitated, and
so on the whole a fine example of discipline our platoon made. But David,
lost in wonder at such wilfulness, never raised his head above the
parapet.

Well, at last we heard the captain's whistle, and steadied. His voice
came: "Range, eight hundred and fifty yards." We set our sights. "At one
o'clock, to the right of the cemetery, fire at will!" We stood upright
(it was a relief to straighten out!) and I saw, across the valley, beside
a little cemetery on the top of the further hill, some moving figures, at
which I fired a couple of clips. Then "Cease firing!" We locked our
pieces; the men had disappeared. "Down, men!" And we crouched again. But
next we heard "Battle sight--at four o'clock--fire at will," and when we
stood up there was a line of skirmishers advancing out of the woods
beyond the railway cutting, about where the figure four would be on a
great clock-face if spread before us on the landscape, we ourselves being
at the six. But while I was popping