nearly midday
` There are quite enough of the beggars already , ' said Dave . ` Just listen to the bullets coming over . That scrub in front of us fairly hums with snipers . ' By the time that the trench was finished it was nearly midday . The men were given a rest , and dinner was served out . In spite of the enemy 's fire the Army Service men had managed to bring their stores right up to the trench , and there was fresh bread , butter , cheese , and jam for the hungry fighters . Down below , engineers were at work , making a path up the cliff , while boats travelled up and down with a dogged and admirable persistence .