Signing to the others to remain where they were, Kenneth crept still farther forward until he came below the parapet. From the direction of the voices he guessed that the trench was unoccupied at the angle; the men who should be there were gathered around the man who had the paper. Cautiously raising himself, he peeped first through a loophole, then over the crown of the parapet. Here he was able to look along both the main trench and the communicating trench at right angles to it. In the former, about a dozen yards away, he saw a group of men at the entrance of a dug-out, from which a glow shone forth. It was here, evidently, that the man was reading. He discovered the reason why, apart from the attraction of the newspaper, this part of the trench was empty. The stars were reflected in water that lay along the bottom. There was evidently a considerable leakage from the pond. On the right hand the communication trench was quite dark. Apparently it was not manned at all. Kenneth dropped down again, and remained for a short time listening. The conversation had changed: instead of discussing the war, the Germans were talking of domestic matters; the ex-waiter of the Savoy Hotel described his little house and garden at Peckham, and told how he had happened to meet in London a girl from his own village in Wurtemburg, who was now his wife. Luckily he had saved enough money to keep her and his children for a year or two. Finding that he was not likely to gain any important information, Kenneth crawled back to his companions, and they made their wriggling way to their trench without being discovered. Captain Adams was a little disappointed at the meagre result of their reconnaissance. The only valuable piece of news was that the communication trench was empty and the angle flooded. Shortly after their return the mysterious gun again opened fire. Several men were wounded by splinters of shells, one so seriously that, in spite of the risk, he had to be carried at once to the rear. Next day Kenneth said to Harry: "Look here, last night’s business has whetted my appetite. Why shouldn’t we get behind the German lines and see if we can locate that gun? Every day we lose a man or two without being able to retaliate, and it’s quite time to put a stop to it." "Will the captain let us?" "Adams wouldn’t object, I think; but I’m afraid we should have to get the colonel’s leave for this. I’ll take the first opportunity of speaking to the captain. It would be a pity not to make some use of the little information we were able to pick up." Captain Adams, when the proposal was put to him, at once said, as Kenneth had expected, that he must ask the colonel’s permission. "It’s a good deal more dangerous than last night’s affair, you see. You’ll be shot out of hand if you’re caught." "But it’s worth trying, sir, if we can find that gun. Apart from our losses, it’s making the men jumpy."