Aitchoo! went a third.
Aitchoo! Aitchoo! Aitchoo! sneezed all the Turks between their oriental grunts and curses.
Claud burst out laughing and so gave himself away. A head popped out of the hole. Claud was seen. Down it went, and up came a rifle, but before the Turk could fire, Claud, who had a couple of bombs prepared, flung them into the hole. There was a loud bang! bang! followed by a series of shouts, shrieks and moans. The sapping party fled for their lives. This was as Claud desired, so he quietly crawled back to his trench.
"Got 'em that time, Dufair," said an officer as he tumbled in.
"Yes, sir."
"By the way, what was all the sneezing about?"
"A little trick, sir," laughed Claud.
"Was it snuff you chucked at them?"
"No, common or garden pepper, issued with the rations."
"Good," said the officer pursuing his rounds.