CHAPTER XI.

The trick that didn’t trick us.

[Illustration:  “The black hole.”]

Returning to the “group system,” the three following sketches in juxtaposition relate to one and the same happening—­our taking of a distillery (on the outskirts of Armentieres) of which the Germans had been in possession for about three weeks, and within the boundaries of which they set a big trap that didn’t catch us.  The air was poisoned with the stench of dead animals as we arrived within smell of the block of buildings I show first—­and, with thoughts in the minds of some of us of what we had read of the ill-savour of the Black Hole of Calcutta, “the Black Hole” was an ejaculation before it was a designation.  The enemy occupied the portion of yard shown in the foreground and used the front of the buildings and the gateway for cover.  The British advanced to a position within twenty yards of the gateway in front of it, and, after several nights’ work, erected a barricade of twigs, grass, and earth, rapidly collected and thrown into place.  By one of their clever tricks the Germans had made the buildings look as though entirely deserted.  They had been careful not to shell them when they took them from the French, and it was their intention to draw us on into the yard unsuspectingly and so get us at their mercy.  For the surrounding buildings contained machine guns, though we did not then know the fact, and so quiet was everything that I was able to make my sketches undisturbed.  The yard could have accommodated quite 3,000 of our men, who, if the enemy had had their way, would have been riddled with shot.  However, we naturally proceeded with military caution.  Scouts advanced first, and were somewhat deceived because the Germans had artfully left a caretaker and his wife in the building seen adjoining the central arch.  These people, doubtless under orders, passed out milk through the window to the scouts at night to give the idea that the buildings were still peacefully occupied, though, as a matter of fact, they contained, not only the enemy soldiers, but their machine guns as well.  Really we might have been drawn into the trap but for one lucky incident.  The enemy were foolish enough to do some secret signalling with a light at night from the tower above the gateway.  This was immediately observed by the scouts, and the game was up.

“Jam-tin artillery party.”

When the scouts gave the warning that the enemy were in the buildings, volunteers were called for to make up a bombing party to blow up the tower where the signalling had been observed.  We had no idea how many Germans the tower contained, but later found traces of only one.  There were evidences that he had been there for some time, and he had stores of milk and food for a longer stay; they were not wasted,