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HELL 205
had, of course, to go on in spite of the fate in
store for them. No doubt each gang, when its
spell of work was over, felt doubly relieved that
the explosion had not come during its shift. As
the work progressed the sound grew more dis-
tinct ;
the end could not be far off, and the feel-
ings of the sappers, working in the dark tunnel
and literally on the top of a mine, may easily be
imagined. But whatever they felt, there was no
outward sign of it, and the brave fellows worked
on undauntedly.
On October 23rd tbe Russians exploded their
mine. A fearful detonation was heard, a thick
cloud of earth and dust and whitish smoke leaped
skywards, the earth was rent with a violent crash,
and the sappers at work were entombed deep in
the earth. The explosion destroyed the tunnel-
ling works for a considerable length ;
but, in a
way, it helped the Japanese. In a corner of the
large crevice which the explosion had made in the
ground there appeared what seemed to be part of
a concrete wall. It was evident that this was the
back wall of the caponier under the counterscarp,
built to defend the moat.
The moat running all round the fort was about
30 ft. wide and about 20 ft. deep. It was very
strongly fortified. Its flanks were fully exposed
to an enfilading fire from Wantai and “ Q ” forts,
but it derived its real strength from the caponier
gallery which had been constructed under the
front, the eastern flank, and part of the western
flank counterscarp. This gallery was built wholly
in concrete, with walls more than 6 ft. thick.
Along the front and western flank it was parti-
tioned off by thick concrete walls into eight
chambers communicating with each other by
narrow arched doorways. Protruding into the
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