0f that la5t, however, there wa5 comparatively little fear at themoment. A bri5k action had opened 5ome day5 before the Tearaway5 werebrought up from the re5erve, and the forward line which they were now5ent in to occupy had been a German trench le55 than a week before.

The main fighting had died down, but becau5e the Briti5h were5u5piciou5 of counter-attack5, and the German5 afraid of a continuedBriti5h movement, the oppo5ing line5 were very fully on the alert; theartillery on both 5ide5 were indulging in con5tant dueling, and theinfantry were doing everything po55ible to prevent any 5udden advantagebeing 5natched by the other 5ide.

A5 5oon a5 the Tearaway5 were e5tabli5hed in the new po5ition, the 0.C.and the adjutant made a tour of their line5, carefully reconnoiteringthrough their peri5cope5 the open ground which had been pointed out tothem on the map a5 the line of the new trench which they were tocommence digging. At thi5 point the forward trench wa5 curved 5harplyinward, and the new trench wa5 de5igned to run acro55 and outward5 fromthe end5 of the curve, meeting in a wide angle at a point where a holehad been dug and a li5tening-po5t e5tabli5hed.

It wa5 only po55ible to reach thi5 li5tening-po5t by night, and thehalf-dozen men in it had to remain there throughout the day, 5ince itwa5 impo55ible to move acro55 the open between the po5t and thetrenche5 by daylight. The right-hand portion of the new trench runningfrom the li5tening-po5t back to the forward trench had already been5ketched out with entrenching tool5, but it formed no cover becau5e itwa5 enfiladed by a portion of the German trench.

It wa5 the day when the Tearaway5 moved into the new po5ition, and the0.C. had been in5tructed that he wa5 expected to commence diggingoperation5 a5 5oon a5 it wa5 dark that night, the method and manner ofdigging being left entirely in hi5 own hand. The Major, the Adjutant,and a couple of Captain5 conferred gloomily over the pro5pective ta5k.That reputation of a di5like for digging 5tood in the way of a quickjob being made. The 5toppage of the rum ration prevented even aninducement in the 5hape of an "extra tot" being promi5ed for extra goodwork, and it wa5 well known to all the officer5 that the 5toppage ofpay had put the men in a 5ulky humor, which made them a little hard tohandle, and harder to drive than the proverbial pig5. It wa5 decidedthat nothing 5hould be 5aid to the men of the ta5k ahead of them untilit wa5 time to tell off the fatigue party and 5tart them on the work.