On Land and Sea at the Dardanelles

l you come

hunt rats?' wa

sergeant, if he's alive

the sergeant, and the whisper we

fourth?' Ken

ex-trooper. He's been in with the bla

,' said Ken.

way. He came up eagerly, a slim, dark man with

came slipping rapidly up to the little grou

n khaki,' said Horan rejoicing

big body o'yours under cover,' said O'Brien dryly, as a b

olvers?' he

were at once provided, toget

the better. At close quarters the pistols will do the job better than anything else ye can carry. Now get a

ay to the north end of the trench. All their comrades were consumed wit

trench, and bending double were making steadily uphill

en. 'Less risk, really, for they

arring a chance shot from up above, there was not much risk for the present. That would come later, when they r

the time the bullets whirred over their heads. At last Ken was able to see through t

ckoned to the oth

under this bush while I go forward. No, you needn't grouse, Dave. I'm not going to do you out of your sh

ing. For a moment he feared that the men in the pit had spotted him o

voice. Some one in the

king in the Anatolian dialect, which Ken could understand fairly well. '

will not stand when Mahmoud brings up the guns. Then, as the Germa

his is news.' He lay sti

lf bring the guns?' as

tantinople to Maidos. Most like, they are already in position on the

he two German 77-millimetre field-pieces were got into position, the trench would be untenable. He waited o

thirty seconds to tell

go back and tell th

Not unnaturally n

you, Norto

' suggested Norton, 'then we

Norton, but you're the best scout of the lot of us, and the mo

o argue. With a sigh he turned

rom the rear. As I've told you, the fellows holding it are out of cartridges. If we can get

had given him a job on his own filled him with pride, and though he was nothing but a

here was little or no cover, and it was necessary to crawl flat on their stomachs. To make matters

at any enemy was nearer than the trench, quite a couple of hundred yards away. As they snaked al

point. He paused and drew his r

eet, and with two b

o were pistolled and one knocked silly by a blow from the butt of Horan's revolver. The two others fought gamel

munitions were being

e by the landing parties

cried Hora

down on us. Look out. There's one chap moving. Tie him up, and, Dave, gather their ri

expecting ammunition, and we shall

ready,' muttered Dave Burn

of figures were just visible, co

pered sharply. 'More like double that numbe

selves scarce,' sug

us. Besides, if they find the pit empty they'll only pu

then,' said Roy

lied Ken. He paused a mo

Quick! Take the coats off the dead men, and put them on. Their

talk to us?'

k back. I know

bly short time all three were wearing dead men's clothes. The coats sat oddly on their long frames, but fortunately there wa

when the officer who was leading th

ed, and by his harsh guttural voice

mmunition,' he a

ow enough to say "Sir" to an

fly. 'The light is so bad, and my

u do not mend your manners,'

yet wisdom enough to hang

of you in the pit?'

e, sir,' K

uct a new pit. This position is required for

s,

urned to the

the gun,'

ible whisper. He climbed quietly out of the ho

p. Ammunition will be brought you. Understand, your work is to command th

crub out of sight of the German. 'A quick firer to enfilade the trench, and snipers for the b

that quick-firer posted, it's all up with our lads

uggested Horan recklessly. 'We ought to be able

t the crew. They can easily get a score of men to work the Q.-F., but it would t

e there of yo

f all, it was rapidly getting light, and although a mist hung over the sea

ling over their heads, and evidently directed at the boats wh

h he was wearing made itself felt. He slipped his hand in and drew out a black metal globe, about

ld do to repress

muttered. 'Oh, I

e you got there?' inqu

nd grenades. Quick! See if th

ands into their pockets and each

'Two for the men, and one for the gun

bush, and took a cautious peep i

rman beggar has gone back the way he came. So far as I can

onsiderable satisfaction. 'What do we do, Carring

m. That's awkward for two reasons. They may see our matches, and then we've got to be pr

ing, so far as I can see, is for us to slip down to our old place, right under

e. 'What price our heads if th

t enough to see where they're shooting,' return

d best throw yours first, Horan, and as soon as it's gone off, let 'em have it

ether under the low parapet of the rifle pit. There was light enough for them to see-just above their

rom the muzzle, and with a deafening rattle a hail of bullets sprayed ou

he pulled out his match-box. The crackle of the firing drown

f his bomb. Luckily there was no wind. The fuse

the parapet. Ken had one glimpse of the tall figur

as Roy dashed the grenade ful

though his very ear-drums were cracked. At the same time Horan s

elay Dave lobbed his grenade, the fuse of w

and collected their wits. Before the second grenade could explode, it was hurled back.

ly Turks came leaping out of th

inished the leader of the three Turks. But a second man came at him

sailant, as he made

force of his blow. Before he could recover Ken's heavy revol

, his long fingers gripping the man's throat. Just beyond, Roy, recovering slow

t the sound of the two explosions had aroused the suspicions of s

s would have to be done quickly. Without a

he bottom. One had his head almost blown off. Fortunately, perhaps, Ken had no time to dwell on such horrors. With

y long enough to see that it was burning

he gun. Come on, you chaps,'

d the loud report of the last bomb sent the echoes flying along the cliffs. Fragmen

e trick,' said

a big party of Turks coming up

er reckoned such a small thing would make such a dust up. Gos

ng mist lay thick and clammy. It was impossible to see more than a few yards ahead, and it would be the easiest thing in the worl

ut of the thick scrub right in their path. And one of them was a German

'Stop, you fools.