Who would relish an obituary such as: "He died like a hero, his last words being 'XB35/067K'"? To the ramping of the continuous crump the B.M. scraped away the dirt and stuff that had fallen from the throbbing walls of his dug-out and fished out the Code-Book.

A German shell, soaring over, burst with a loud crump behind the trench.

This cellar roof is too thin to stop an ordinary Fizzbang, much less a good solid Crump, and that machine gun upstairs is a certain invitation to sudden death and the German gunners to down and out us.

But miles behind a 9·2 Blew up a ration dump; Far, far and wide the tinned food flew From that tremendous crump: And one immense and sharp-toothed tin Came whistling down, to my chagrin, And caught me smartly on the shin By Jove, it made me jump.

I loved the trade; Far other is this battle in the waste, Wherein, each night, though not of course afraid, I wriggle round with ill-concealed distaste, Where who can say what menace is not nigh, What ambushed foe, what unexploded crump, And the glad worm, aspiring to the sky, Emerges suddenly and makes you jump.