A network of barbed wire barred the river here. The Germans had foreseen the possibilities of an approach and had taken precautions to prevent it. Was the network large, or was there only a single barrier, that was the question. Or, should we go back? In any case there was no use in re-appearing before we were expected, for we had reached their lines. Since the work under suspicion was a little in advance of their first trench, we must be nearly even with it. We had brought wire cutters, but what was the use of cutting the first net, if we were to find another beyond it, and then another, and so on for fifty or a hundred yards perhaps. The enemy is meticulous in his defenses and spares no means of protecting himself. It was also a question whether we were in the middle of the river or near the bank. By shoving his paddle down at arm’s length Gondran touched bottom. So we were going to reach the bank, but first we must prepare for our retreat. Using the barbed wire as a guide, we put the boat out into the middle of the river, but not in the strength of the current, and then on a stick we had brought along set up a dummy dressed in the uniform of one of the Colonials. Then we went back to the bank. Here was the most ticklish and dangerous moment of our mission. What, we asked ourselves, was the shape of the bank and would we find a sentinel? We brought the boat as near the shore as possible and in as far as we could. By feeling to the right we could touch solid ground. The time had come!... We glided from the boat like snakes and once on land remained motionless, holding our breaths. It was impossible to see anything a yard off; there was no noise except the far-off rumbling of the guns in the English sector. We went ahead.... The heavy socks we had drawn over our boots deadened our steps. The damp grass bent but did not crackle. “Conrad! Come here. It is time.” “What time?” “Nearly midnight.” “Good.” “The lieutenant isn’t here.” “No?” “He is with the major and will come back.” “Come along.” “But there’s no one here.” “What of it? Come along.” This conversation in German stopped us short. The voices seemed to come from the ground two steps in front of us. Doubtless there was a sap there.... We heard steps getting farther away. I grabbed the officer and making a megaphone of my hands whispered in his ear what I had just understood from their conversation. In the same way, he responded: “Inviting you was an inspiration. Since they’ve gone, we can get in there.”