Flanagan came into the dug-out. "That smells A.1." he remarked. "But the Tanks," he said. "I can't see them yet. I hope they're not late." "I hope they're not," Bowdy replied, and yawned. The arrival of the Tanks did not interest him apparently. He reached out his hand for the mess-tin of tea and drank. "We're givin' them 'ell wiv our guns," said Bubb. "Blowin' the place to 'ell.... That's a good drop o' tea, ain't it?" "Indeed, it's damned good," Flanagan replied. "I'm out for a V.C. this time, anyhow.... Where's Snogger?" "He's outside, somewhere," said Bowdy. "He thinks that he'll not come through this scrap. He is quite nervy." "I wouldn't mind 'avin' a job at these 'ere tanks," said Bubb. "It'd be damn good sport.... 'Ave another piece of bacon, Bowdy?" "Thank you," Bowdy replied, taking the half rasher which Bubb handed to him. "I'm damned hungry.... Here, did you see Captain Thorley this morning. He was giving cigarettes away. Turkish they were; must have cost a penny apiece. Fat ones, like a cigar almost." "'E's a good bloke, old Thorley," said Bubb. "I wonder if the tanks are in sight yet," said Flanagan. "They're goin' to make a clean sweep of all the High Wood.... What's the time now?" "A quarter to seven," Bowdy replied, looking at his wrist watch. "It'll all be over at ten o'clock one way or the other The Guards and Northumberland Fusiliers are round one side of the wood and it's almost closed in." Having finished their breakfast, the men went outside into the trench. The shells could be heard bursting on the German lines, and the enemy were replying. The machine guns were going pit-pit, and bullets were ripping the English sandbags. "There, look!" shouted Bowdy Benners, pointing at the sky overhead. His two mates looked up to see an aeroplane making its way across to the enemy's lines. It was followed by two, three, half-a-dozen, flying low. "There, the tanks!" somebody shouted, and a line of faces peeped over the sandbags. One man in Benners' bay got hit through the head and fell to the floor of the trench. The remainder drew back discreetly and kept their heads under cover. Sergeant Snogger appeared suddenly, smoking a cigarette and paring his nails with a clasp-knife. He leant his back against the parados and looked at the trio. "Cheero, sarg," said Bubb. "Fancy yer chance?" "Not 'arf," said Snogger. "It'll be a walk-over." "Pass the word along for Sergeant Snogger," came the message up the trench. The sergeant closed his knife, put it in his pocket and rushed round the traverse. "I didn't see the tanks," said Bubb. "There are none 's far as I could see." "I saw one," Bowdy said. "Over on the right." "There were two," said Flanagan. "Crawlin' along as if they were pickin' up worms. Big, ugly lookin' brutes they were. God! they'll make the Germans sit up.... You have yer helmet twisted round, Bubb."