When we arrived back at the place where we left our two men, they also
were not to be seen.

After some time and anxious inquiries for two men with four horses, we
at last discovered them nearly half a mile away. Fritz had put some
heavy stuff over fairly near, and they had moved.

"A very interesting bit of the line isn't it, Hale?" I said as we moved
off. "Yes, sir," he said, adding with a fierce frown, "but not very
_safe_, sir."

And then we all laughed. Hale does frown so when he makes one of his
oracular utterances.


[Illustration: A HOUSE IN GEUDECOURT
Here, as in many of these sketches, there are no people to be seen, for
the simple reason that they are all underground in dug-outs.]


_September 29._

It's up to us to reconnoitre carefully every time there is a move
forward, so as to see the new ground.

One of the most curious and interesting things is this: the Boche rarely
wastes. He only puts his crumps and pip-squeaks just where he thinks (or
knows) our batteries are, and our infantry want to be, and our horses
would be likely to be (if they weren't somewhere else). So that