IN THE SNIPER'S HOLE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 215, 27 May 1915, Page 3

IN THE SNIPER'S HOLE.

It was just on daylight when we reached the sniper's hole, a bit apart from the main trench line, which we were to occupy for an observation station, writea one of the British officers in France. A sniper's holer-is likely to escape attention when- the main trench comes in for its shell dose, but it has its disadvantages. We had practically to sit immobile all'way; we dared hardly stand up,' as the place had no proper parapet. For looking round we used a

periscope. The periscojDe is wonderful. To be seated where you can see nothing but the muddy sides of a hole and then by applying the periscope, and without having to rise an inch, to- have the whole of this extraordinary countryside revealed —trenches and wire entanglements, sandbags, and shell holes showing up as if under a microscope. What helped to keep us discreetly low was the sight of a loophole in the- German trench 5 yard's across the way; now it showed daylight through it, and now it was- darkened. So we sat quite tight from morn to eve on that frosty March day. The sun came out, but we were in the'shadow. He movd slowly round but left us still in the Bhadow. We tried'' to reckon tlie cost of stepping out in his warm-looking light—March sunshine, we said, is but a ghost at best. Someone back at the battery end of the wire -asked us what we were going to have for lunch, and asked us if our feet were warm. As long as the battery had no need for our eyes we were able to watch the strange life of that hillside. Two mosr

relentless riflemen in a trench to ourright occupied our attention a lot. We envied them their activity. TJiey seemed to be able to find targets when ail the rest of the line was hashed, an« we wondered if they took; an enemy life for each-half-dozen .c-c their esrefully sighted shots. The trench on ourleft had som shell poured fireeely into it; mud and turnips from the field liehind came flying over U) us. We sot dead soldiers in a red and bine sraiform lying in the forbidden ' land! between tlie two trenches; one wita a whitened skull. That reminded us that it is not all a sitting game of calm and deliberation. Aircraft came over rrom our side and were greeted with volleys Of rifle-fire; we reported this +o our battery, and they delivered a shower of shrapnel which make all heads keep

under, ur periscope was "sonven'.rcd" later on with a rifle bullet clear, through the tin sides. Our day's journey was to finish in the afternoon, bu< not till the covering darkness of even* ing could we leave our post. Tor n'n -hour or two we tried to sleep the nnrrmed- -sleep of the winter trenches — VSiaz sleep in which till the sensese never share together, but always one o? another seems to take it on itself to watch while the others rest. Then, as scon as it was dark enough not to *oe able to distinguish the trench opposite, ...•//3 put our chilled limbs under us and straggled out. Back through the muff, preferring darkness to the dangerous illumination of searching rockets, tili our feet found hard land on the roa-cl of rapid motion.