"Come with me," directed the officer and he and Jacques walked rapidly away. Jacques had no conception what his mission was to he, but he was not particularly curious; he knew that he was to do something for France and he was satisfied.
Through the winding trenches they preceded until they reached the first line. Here the effects of the German bombardment were especially noticeable. In many places the parapets had been blown in and dead and wounded men were lying all about. Jacques and his conductor paid no attention to these things, however. They hurried along until they finally came to a portion of the trench which projected beyond the remainder of it. Jacques recalled it as the section which he and his companions had occupied when Dubois had tied the string to the Germans' bell.
Here they halted; the guns were roaring now as never before and it was with great difficulty that one made his voice heard.
"The Germans came out of their trenches once but we drove them back with our fire curtain," explained the officer.
"They'll try again though," remarked Jacques.
"Of course they will and that is why I want you here. Do you see that little mound out ahead there?"
"Yes," replied Jacques peering intently through the darkness.
"That is a shelter," said the officer.
"And you want me to go out there."
"Yes. You will find inside of it an electric switchboard; there is only one switch so you cannot possibly go wrong. When that switch is pushed down it connects with wires attached to a mine field. You are to go out to that shelter and wait until the German infantry reaches a spot one hundred feet in front of you; then you are to throw the switch. The mines will all explode and there'll be several less of the enemy left to attack us."