Chapter XII · Chapter 12

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

later than; following

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

in addition

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

earlier than; in front of

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

of short duration or distance

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

plural of “bullet” — a projectile that is fired from a gun

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance

From this reading And through it all they dared not return the fire, could not even utter a word to each other without fear of giving the enemy a closer range upon them.

a conference (usually with someone important)

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission

From this reading And through it all they dared not return the fire, could not even utter a word to each other without fear of giving the enemy a closer range upon them.

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading And through it all they dared not return the fire, could not even utter a word to each other without fear of giving the enemy a closer range upon them.

an opposing military force

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

divisible by two

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

Strictly particular and correct.

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

decreasing in amount or degree

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading And through it all they dared not return the fire, could not even utter a word to each other without fear of giving the enemy a closer range upon them.

start firing a weapon

From this reading And through it all they dared not return the fire, could not even utter a word to each other without fear of giving the enemy a closer range upon them.

a component of a mixture that has been separated by a fractional process

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

plural of “german” — a person of German nationality

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

the act of giving

From this reading And through it all they dared not return the fire, could not even utter a word to each other without fear of giving the enemy a closer range upon them.

plural of “gunner” — a serviceman in the artillery

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

being in captivity

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

evidencing the possession of inside information

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

darkened with overcast

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

subject to death

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

not one and not the other of two

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

not any; not one

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading And through it all they dared not return the fire, could not even utter a word to each other without fear of giving the enemy a closer range upon them.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

an organization to gain political power

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

a firearm that is held and fired with one hand

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

the state of being present; current existence

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

get by special effort

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"

From this reading And through it all they dared not return the fire, could not even utter a word to each other without fear of giving the enemy a closer range upon them.

with speed

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading And through it all they dared not return the fire, could not even utter a word to each other without fear of giving the enemy a closer range upon them.

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

any vehicle self-propelled by a rocket engine

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

exploring in order to gain information

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

cause to go somewhere

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

plural of “shot” — the act of firing a projectile

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

in or at that place or location

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading And through it all they dared not return the fire, could not even utter a word to each other without fear of giving the enemy a closer range upon them.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

a light usually carried in the hand; consists of some flammable substance

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading And through it all they dared not return the fire, could not even utter a word to each other without fear of giving the enemy a closer range upon them.

articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise

From this reading And through it all they dared not return the fire, could not even utter a word to each other without fear of giving the enemy a closer range upon them.

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

at the time that

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

the general location where something is

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

rub with a circular motion

From this reading They also realized now, when it was too late, that the Germans had returned to their own lines, after that brief consultation, in order to procure the machine-gun with which to wipe them out.

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE S O S WITH PISTOL SHOTS To move from the position they were in was impossible.

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading They knew now that they had been discovered by the enemy scouting party which they had observed a short time before--as they thought, without the others knowing of their presence there in "No Man's Land."

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading And through it all they dared not return the fire, could not even utter a word to each other without fear of giving the enemy a closer range upon them.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading All that they could do, imprisoned there as they were within a steel and leaden wall of rapidly falling machine-gun bullets, was to hope that the gunners would not change their aim, even by the fraction of a point, and that neither side would send up a torch rocket to divulge their exact whereabouts and bring sudden death or mortal injury to them all.