What a night!
We had to install certain wire entanglements and chevaux de frise[16] in front of our trench of the first line.
Happily the boche mitrailleuse in front of Moulin d'Ornes did not fire; otherwise we would have been riddled!
My men went at it vigorously and all the work had been terminated—I had divided them into several gangs and had recommended the new wire network be placed parallel to the old.
I went over the entire line to survey the work and to observe the patrols who protected the men ahead of the trenches.
One of my gangs just missed causing us a villainous adventure! They stumbled on some wire, which by shell-fire had been thrown out of line, and following it, they had worked directly toward the enemy——
They had placed their chevaux de frise one after the other and I stopped stupefied on making this discovery. I had for a moment the impression that my men had been picked up by the boches. Fortunately not a shot had been heard and I said to myself it would probably be possible to repair the error committed.
First it was necessary to find my poilus——
I followed the line of chevaux de frise, my revolver in hand. Thus I arrived a few yards from the boche wire entanglements. My men were not there and it was likely they had gone taking the material to the village. An hour later I found them and started them again on the work.