Page:War's dark frame (IA warsdarkframe00camp).pdf/188

156 liams stroked the corrugated surface of the grenade.

"Not so large, yet one of these things will do in a score of men."

The trench officer took it from him and slipped the end of the rod through the apex of the tripod. A soldier, whose bent attitude was suggestive of worship of the toy-like affair, placed a blank cart- ridge in a tube at the base. The officer lowered the rod against the cartridge. The soldier stooped closer, manipulating a graded quadrant. Range is correct, sir, to drop it straight into their trench."

Williams started to speak. The brigade officer laughed.

No, thank you.

Our friends over there are jumpy this morning. They'd send a few back in our direction."

What happened then had the blind irony of chance. It was, indeed, that slight variation of which I had thought a few minutes before. From a point not far ahead came a sharp crack, barely audible and lost at once in the general uproar. Williams seemed inclined to hold us back, but we went on after a few minutes. As we turned the corner of a traverse we saw a quiet form out- stretched.

Already some one had flung a blanket over face