been alongside of the Australians for a considerable time. I was told
that an Australian working party, while digging a forward trench, was
sniped continually by a German machine-gunner out in front of his own
line in a shell-hole. One or two men were hit. The line on the flank of
the working party happened to be held by Scottish troops. An officer
from the Australians had to visit the Scottish line in order to make
some preparations for a forthcoming attack.

He found the Scotsmen there thirsting for that sniper's blood,
impatiently waiting for dark in order to go over the parapet and get
him--they could scarcely be held back even then, straining like hounds
in the leash.

The sniper was bagged later, and his machine-gun. It was a mixed affair,
Scottish and Australian; and I believe there was an argument as to which
owned the machine-gun.




CHAPTER XXIII

MOUQUET FARM

_France, September 7th._


On the same day on which the British took Guillemont and reached Ginchy
and Leuze Wood; on the same day on which the French pushed their line
almost to Combles; at the same time as the British attacked Thiépval