'Have ye revolvers?' he asked of Ken.
None of them had, but these were at once provided, together with plenty of
ammunition.
'Ye'd best lave your rifles,' said O'Brien. ''Tis a creeping, crawling job
before ye, and the lighter ye go, the better. At close quarters the
pistols will do the job better than anything else ye can carry. Now get
along wid ye. The sky's lightening over Asia yonder, and 'tis small chance
ye'll have if the dawn catches ye.'
'Lucky beggars!' growled a big Tasmanian, as they passed him on their way
to the north end of the trench. All their comrades were consumed with
envy, but like the good fellows they were, they only wished them luck.
A few moments later they had all four crawled out of the trench, and
bending double were making steadily uphill towards the spot from which the
enfilading fire proceeded.
'We'll go straight,' whispered Ken. 'Less risk, really, for they'll be
shooting over our heads.'
There was plenty of cover, for the whole of the steep hill-side was dotted
with thick bunches of dense scrub.
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