We leave the trench and go over, crouching, into No Man's Land, advancing with great precaution through the tall grass. When a rocket flares from our lines or those of the enemy, we flatten with our faces to the ground and remain without the slightest movement. Then we advance again, holding our breath. Finally we arrive at the enemy's barbed wire entanglements and hear them talking in their trenches. I am close to Guéneau, who listens attentively while I murmur in his ear: "Old chap, yesterday at this time we were drinking a whisky and soda on the boulevard." * * * * * We pass the night in a shelter placed at our disposal by Major Jouanic. We must assist in the early morning at the explosion of a mine under an enemy listening post. We choose our time and it is yet night when we start out. Hardly awake, we look more like a hunting party: nearly all the sappers preceding us in the communicating trench are carrying clubs and might be taken for beaters. Arriving soon at the first line, each takes the place that has been assigned. I look at my watch--the mine will be exploded at four o'clock. It is near the edge of the wood and I gaze into the open stretch on my right. The sky is turning a deep rose and the birds are singing, as they sing at the break of a beautiful summer's day. All else is asleep in our corner of the earth, and for us who know, this silence is impressive---- Five minutes more---- I look in front of me. The mined spot is plainly visible--I see the German trench and the barbed-wire entanglement very well. Farther to the right is the place where Guéneau and I had crouched the night before; I see the tall, yellow grass and the zig-zag path by which we had returned. Two minutes---- My eyes do not leave the spot, where, in a few moments, human beings will be hurled in the air and disappear. They are our enemies, but one experiences that undefinable feeling that one is conscious of when looking at the guillotine about to fall before you. What silence! * * * * * Suddenly an enormous gust of earth leaps into the air--- One gapes with stupor--a heavy detonation--the earth is transformed into a vast volcano and black soil and stones are shot continually up! Everything in the vicinity becomes animated and three large trees begin to incline slowly in different directions with sinister crackings---- At the same moment I see very distinctly a German soldier thrown high into space, his hands tightly clutching his rifle. He turns over slowly and then his gun goes off, having, without doubt, unconsciously pulled the trigger. Then it is this column of earth which falls showering and covering us with a rain of stones and pebbles, thumping the ground loudly---- And then comes the waking of battle; the stupor is over and a heavy fusillade breaks out along the whole line; machine-guns sputter, and the artillery fire becomes violent----