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HELL 207
was difficult for the Japanese to detect these
cartridges before the fire had taken a firm hold,
and even when the smoke had given them warn-
ing, it was no easy matter to put the fire out,
although they were provided with hand-pumps
and buckets of water, because of the difficulty of
seeing what took place on the top or the outer
side of the breastworks, owing to the danger of
showing their heads.
The construction of the seventh parallel on the
top of the counterscarp proved to be a very diffi-
cult undertaking under the heavy shelling which
could be directed against this point. The w’ork
here was fraught with a heavy loss of life, and
made but slow progress. They therefore thought
for a moment of directing their attack against
other parts of the fort.
On the night of October 31st an officer was
sent with a small reconnoitring party to try to
move secretly round to the rear of the fort and
find out if it would be easier to cross the moat
from there. It was a pitch-dark night, and the
little party moved forward very cautiously, the
officer creeping in front of his men.
At exactly the same hour one of the small
Russian surprise parties started to work round
from the rear to make one of their nightly attacks
on the sap head. These parties, both crawling
forward with the greatest circumspection, suddenly
and unexpectedly met. The Russian party also
was headed by an officer, and neither side had
seen or heard anything of the other till the two
officers met. They instantly closed. The Rus-
sian was the stronger and heavier man, and got
his adversary under him ;
but the “ jujitzu ”
tricks*
* The “jujitzu” is a special kind of wrestling which is
very highly developed in Japan. By the many clever
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