our central, and it also took time for the French telephone men to trace out all their lines in company with our own. We all hated to see the French "artilleurs" go, and felt lonesome for them for several days.

                By Sunday, October 3, the position was all American. In every way it was the exact opposite of our last position. It was on a high hill absolutely bare, in spite of its name "Haudromont Wood," dry, and away from the gas. There were deep dugouts fitted with bunks, tables, benches, and even "sappes" or passageways deep into the ground by which escape was possible in case the dugout should be caved in. We inherited an unholy number of rats in this position, who felt that they had more right there than we, and took no pains to conceal their convictions on this point. Trenches connected different parts of the position : gun-pits, dugouts, ammunition racks, etc. The kitchen was perfect. It was in a huge, strong dug- out partly cut out of the rock further down the hill on the Battery's right flank. It was approached from the guns by a deep trench, and from the rear by a good road. Next door to it was the "Grande Carriere" inhabited by a French colonial outfit. This was a huge quarry turned into a comfortable barrack and dressing station, perfectly indestructible, and so hid­ den by screens and nets as to be almost invisible. The French telephone central, "Cesare", was hidden some­ where deep in its mysterious rock passages.

                The general appearance of the region was startling. Never had we seen evidence of such complete and wholesale destruction. In 1914 a heavy forest had clothed all the hills and valleys, but now not a

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