They are in charge of one Simson, recently promoted to Captain,
supported by that hoary fire-eater, Sergeant Carfrae. The party
numbers seven all told, the only other member thereof with whom we are
personally acquainted being Lance-Corporal M'Snape, the ex-Boy Scout.
Every man wears a broad canvas belt full of pockets: each pocket
contains a bomb.
Simson briefly outlines the situation. Our fire-trench here runs round
the angle of an orchard, which brings it uncomfortably close to the
Germans. The Germans are quite as uncomfortable about the fact as we
are--some of us are rather inclined to overlook this important feature
of the case--and they have run a sap out towards the nearest point of
the Orchard Trench (so our aeroplane observers report), in order to
supervise our movements more closely.
"It may only be a listening-post," explains Simson to his bombers,
"with one or two men in it. On the other hand, they may be collecting
a party to rush us. There are some big shell-craters there, and they
may be using one of them as a saphead. Anyhow, our orders are to go
out to-night and see. If we find the sap, with any Germans in it, we
are to bomb them out of it, and break up the sap as far as possible.
Advance, and follow me."
The party steals out. The night is very still, and a young and
inexperienced moon is making a somewhat premature appearance
behind the Bosche trenches.
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