From the variety of screams of big shells and little shells and
screams harrowingly close and reassuringly high, which were
indicated as ours, one was warranted in suggesting that the
British were doing considerable artillery preparation
themselves. “We must give them as good as they send—and better.”
Better seemed correct. “Those close ones you hear are doubtless
meant for the front German trench, which accounts for their low
trajectory; the others for their support trenches or any
battery-positions that our planes have located.” We could not
see where the British shells were striking. We could judge only
of the accuracy of some of the German fire. Considering the
storm being visited on the support trench which we had just
left, we were more than ever glad to be out of it. Artillery is
the war burglar’s jemmy; but it has to batter the house into
ruins and blow up the safe and kill most of the family before
the burglar can enter. Clouds of dust rose from the explosions;
limbs of trees were lopped off by torna