"Sir, Sergeant Ransom reports with message from Liaison officer. All groups reached the objectives. No enemy encountered on the right, but a party on the left is believed to be returning with prisoners. We blew up their dugouts and left their front line in flames." "Good work, boy," says the Colonel, rising and shaking the runner's hand. "You got here damn quick. Did you come by the Lincoln trench?" "No, sir, I came over the top from the battalion post. Would have been here quicker, but two of us had to carry back one boy to that point before I could get relieved." "Wounded?" "No, sir,--dead." "Who was it?" asks the young lieutenant. "Private Kater, sir, my squad mate." As the sergeant raised his hand in parting salute, all of us saw suspended from his right wrist a most formidable weapon, apparently of his own construction. It was a pick handle with a heavy iron knob on one end and the same end cushioned with a mass of barbed wire rolled up like a ball of yarn. He smiled as he noticed our gaze. "It's the persuader, sir," he said. "We all carried them." He had hardly quitted the door when another heavily breathing figure with shirt half torn off by barbed wire appeared. "K Company got there, sir; beg pardon, sir. I mean sir, Sergeant Wiltur reports, sir, with message from Liaison officer. All groups reached the objectives. They left their dugouts blazing and brought back one machine gun and three prisoners." "Very good, Sergeant," said the Colonel. "Orderly, get some coffee for these runners." "I'd like to see the doctor first, sir," said the runner with the torn shirt. "Got my hand and arm cut in the wire." "Very well," said the Colonel, turning to the rest of the party, "I knew my boys would bring back bacon." More footsteps on the entrance stairway and two men entered carrying something between them. Sweat had streaked through the charcoal coating on their faces leaving striped zebra-like countenances. "Lieutenant Burlon's compliments, sir," said the first man. "Here's one of their machine guns." "Who got it?" inquired the Colonel. "Me and him, sir." "How did you get it?" "We just rolled 'em off it and took it." "Rolled who off of it?" "Two Germans, sir." "What were they doing all that time?" "Why, sir, they weren't doing anything. They were dead." "Oh, very well, then," said the Colonel. "How did you happen to find the machine gun?" "We knew where it was before we went over, sir," said the man simply. "We were assigned to get it and bring it back. We expected we'd have to fight for it, but I guess our barrage laid out the crew. Anyhow we rushed to the position and found them dead." "All right," said the Colonel, "return to your platoon. Leave the gun here. It will be returned to you later and will be your property."