Ploegsteert sets in ruins about two miles northwest of Armentieres;
there were no buildings that Fritz failed to level with the exception of
the tower, which they used for registry purposes,--a reference point in
artillery technology. We were stationed on this sector for eight months,
and our stay here was more or less of a recreation; battle firing was
only intermittent; and on the days that we did speak to Fritz, we rarely
sent over more than 10 to 12 messages.
Our battery was in a hedge here and we were having our wires cut several
times, causing us considerable trouble and annoyance.
Butler, one of my pals, was started out to make the necessary repairs.
He left on his dangerous mission, crouching along and taking advantage
of every bit of shelter on the way, but several ping! pings! warned him
that he was treading on danger ground. He kept at his work, busily
hunting for the break in the wire, with the sniping pills passing his
ears continually.
Crawling along on his hands and knees, with the wire running through his
hand, he came to a little bush, where it slipped away from him, denoting
that there was the break.
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