towards the lower part of the town at a snail's pace in order not to
draw the German fire. We were told that at the present time
approximately one hundred shells a day still fall on Verdun, but at
the time of the great attack the number was as high as eight
hundred, whilst as many as two hundred thousand shells fell daily
in and around Verdun.

Just before we reached the entrance to the citadel the enemy
began to shell the city and one of the shells exploded within two
hundred feet of the car. We knew that we were near the entrance
to the vaults of the citadel and could take refuge, so we left the car
and proceeded on foot. Without thinking we walked in the centre of
the road, and the sentinel at the door of the citadel began in
somewhat emphatic French to recommend us to "longer les murs"
(to hug the walls tightly). The Germans are well aware of the
entrance to the citadel and daily shell the spot. If one meets a shell
in the centre of the road it is obviously no use to argue, whilst in
hugging the side of the wall there is a possibility of only receiving
the fragments of the bursting shell.




A Subterranean City



The subterranean galleries of the citadel of Verdun were
constructed by Vauban, and are now a hive of activity--barbers'
shops, sweet shops, boot shops, hospitals, anything and.