itself; another Company to the right, the fourth in local reserve. The
work of entrenchment began immediately. There was not time to construct
a trench, as laid down in the Manual of Field Engineering. Each man had
to scrape with his entrenching tool as big a hole as he could before the
enemy came upon him.

The Subaltern had many things to arrange. The "field of fire" had to be
"cleared," any refuge behind which the enemy might lurk within two
hundred yards of the trenches had to be, if possible, cut down. Sheaves
of corn standing upright presented the first problem for the defence.
Should he burn as many of them as he could, or overturn them, or beat
them down? No, sheaves were not bullet-proof. A man could be shot behind
them just as easily as in the open. Moreover, they would serve to hide
from the enemy artillery the exact lie of his lines. The position of his
trenches, or rather holes, was about a hundred yards in front of the
village, as it would be the first thing that the German artillery would
"search." The Range-taker took the ranges from the trenches to all
prominent objects in front, with an instrument called the "Barr and
Stroud." He then made these figures known to the four section commanders
of the platoon, who in turn communicated them to their men.

Then he had to get in touch with the commanders on either side, and to
send off a small party to improve what natural obstacles--in this case
wire fences--lay in front. He next went to arrange for the methods of
effecting a retirement, if it should be necessary, breaking through one
or two fences so that this could be effected in perfect order. As some
of the houses were still occupied, he went to the owners, and not
knowing the French for pick and shovel, said: "Monsieur, voulez vous me
prêter des choses pour faire des troux dans la terre?" illustrating it
with pantomime. "Ah, oui, Monsieur, des pioches!" As many of these as