In the mound some soldier, probably a Frenchman, had once made a dugout.

The site was evidently chosen with the idea that crucifixes were untouched by shells, and therefore places of refuge from danger.

I often thought, as I looked at the crucifix with the human shelter beneath it, that it might stand as a symbol of the hymn:-- "Rock of Ages cleft for me Let me hide myself in Thee." The engineers had had a dump for their material near the Bethune-Arras road, and when they moved it forward to a place called the "Nine Elms," the engineer officer gave me his dugout, which was partly beside the road and partly under it.

It consisted of several rooms, one of which contained a bed, and had steps going down to a deep chamber whither one could retire in case of shelling.

It was good to have such a large and comfortable establishment, and when Alberta was chained up in her corner and I had strapped myself into my kit bag at night, we both felt very snug.