THE SCENE

A dug-out in the British trenches before St. Quentin .

A few rough steps lead into the trench above , through

a low doorway . A table occupies a good space of the

dug-out floor. A wooden frame , covered with wire

netting , stands against the left wall and serves the

double purpose of a bed and a seat for the table. A

wooden bench against the back wall make r another

seat , and two boxes serve for the other sides.

Another wire-covered bed is fixed in the right corner

beyond the doorway.

Gloomy tunnels lead out of the dug-out to left and

right .

Except for the table , beds , and seats , there is no

furniture save the bottles holding the candles, and a

few tattered magazine pictures pinned to the wall of

girls in flimsy costumes.

The earth walls deaden the sounds of war, making

them faint and far away , although the front line is

only fifty yards ahead. The flames of the candles that

burn day and night are steady in the still, damp air.

ACT I

Evening on Monday, the 18th March, 1918

ACT II

scene i : Tuesday morning

scene 11 : Tuesday afternoon

ACT III

scene i : Wednesday afternoon

scene n : Wednesday night

scene iii : Thursday, towards dawn

ACT I

The evening of a March day . A pale glimmer of moon-

light shines down the narrow steps into one corner of

the dug-out . Warm yellow candle-flames light the

other corner from the necks of two bottles on the table .

Through the doorway can be seen the misty grey para-

pet of a trench and a narrow strip of starlit sky. A

bottle of whiskey , a jug of water , and a mug stand

on the table amongst a litter of papers and magazines .

An officer's equipment hangs in a jumbled mass from

a nail in the wall .

Captain Hardy, a red-faced , cheerful-looking

man , is sitting on a box by the table , intently drying

a sock over a candle flame. He wears a heavy trench-

boot on his left leg , and his right foot , which is naked , is held above the damp floor by resting it on his left

knee. His right boot stands on the floor beside him. As

he carefully turns the sock this way and that— feeling

it against his face to see if it is dry — he half sings ,

half hums a song — humming when he is not quite

sure of the words , and marking time with the toes

of his right foot.

Hardy : One and Two it’s with Maud and

Lou ;

Three and Four, two girls more ;

Five and Six it’s with — hm — hra — hm —

Seven, Eight, Clara and Caroline

[He lapses into an indefinite humming , and finishes

with a lively burst :

Tick ! — Tock ! — wind up the clock.

And we 5 11 start the day over again.

[A man's legs appear in the moonlit trench above , and a tall , thin man comes slowly down the dug-out

steps , stooping low to avoid the roof He takes his

helmet off and reveals a fine head, with close-cropped ,

iron-grey hair . He looks about forty-five — physically as hard as nails.

Hardy ( looking round ) : Hullo, Osborne ! Your fellows arriving?

Hinata

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