"Yes, sir," he said, "I can tell you a little. The enemy are in force just beyond that low ridge—Primrose Hill. We are strafing them now. Our F.O.O. is somewhere in Fountain Keep, which is a strong point just behind the crest, with one or two observation posts stretching over it. He has direct observation; his last telephone-message said that the enemy were massing again behind their own second line. I haven’t heard from him since: that’s why I stopped firing. Something gone wrong with the works, I expect." "What’s the distance from here to the ridge?" I asked. "Well, we are firing at a range of four thousand three hundred; but that, of course, reaches Boche territory. The range to the crest is about three thousand five hundred." "I see; a brisk country walk of about two miles? I shall deploy here. Has the Boche been shelling the reverse slope of the hill at all?" "Not lately. But yesterday afternoon, during a big attack, he put down a heavy barrage from end to end of it." "Hum! That means that when he attacks again he will put down another heavy barrage. The sooner we get to the crest of that hill the better." I was turning away, when the gunner said: "There’s a sunken road over there, sir, behind that hedge. It runs straight towards Primrose Hill for nearly a mile, and ends where the gradient really begins. If you followed that you could get shelter for a bit, and need not take open order quite so soon." "That’s good advice," I said. "I will have a look at it. Is there much going on in the air at present?" "They set one of our sausage-balloons on fire early this morning. The observer got down all right in his parachute; but I fancy the heavies behind us are a bit in the dark about things, in consequence." "How are the gas-works?" "They put mustard down with their last barrage." "Any aeroplanes been over?" "One Boche machine came over at dawn, but our Archies hunted him back. This battery hasn’t been spotted so far; but I expect we shall have to limber up and do another Hindenburg act presently; we have been doing nothing else for a week. A fortnight ago we were in rest billets about here, running about and playing football and going to the pictures! It’s a bit thick!" he grunted ruefully, through his mask of dirt. "We are to go in and stiffen the line ahead of us," I said. "You stay where you are, and back us! Here’s my leading company coming up now. Good-morning!" "Good-morning, sir, and good luck!" The gunner hurried back to his camouflaged emplacements, and I turned to find Roy at my elbow. "A message came through from brigade, sir," he said, "just after you left, to say that the enemy were massing heavily opposite Primrose Hill, and that we were to get up as soon as possible." "Right! Let us have a look at a covered approach I have just heard about." We crossed a meadow and looked over a hedge. Sure enough, at our very feet lay a deep cutting, following the line of the hedge towards Primrose Hill.