I hearkened and believed.
At his command a sergeant plugged in certain stops upon a keyboard and then when the Colonel, taking a hand telephone up from a table, had talked into it in German he passed it into my hands.
"The captain at the other end of the line knows English," he said.
"I've just told him you wish to speak with him for a minute." I pressed the rubber disk to my ear.

"Hello!" I said.
"Hello!" came back the thin-strained answer.

"This is such and such a trench"-- giving the number--"in front of Cerny.

What do you want to know ?" "What's the news there ?" I stammered fatuously.
A pleasant little laugh tinkled through the strainer.
"Oh, it's fairly quiet now," said the voice.

"Yesterday afternoon shrapnel fire rather mussed us up, but to-day nothing has happened.
We're just lying quiet and enjoying the fine weather.