CHAPTERV

chapterv

iwatchedthepreliminarybombardmentoftheloosbattlefieldsfromablackslagheapbeyondnoeux-les-mines,andafterwardwentonthebattlegrounduptotheloosredoubt,whenourgunsandtheenemy'swerehardatwork;andlaterstill,inyearsthatfollowed,whentherewasneverasilenceofgunsinthosefields,cametoknowthegroundfrommanypointsofview.itwasahideousterritory,thisblackcountrybetweenlensandhulluch.fromtheflatcountrybelowthedistantridgesofnotredamedeloretteandvimythereroseanumberofhighblackconesmadebytherefuseofthecoal-mines,whichwerecalledfosses.aroundthoseblackmoundstherewasgreatslaughter,asatfosse8andfosse10andpuits14bis,andthedoublecrassiernearloos,becausetheygaveobservationandwereimportanttocaptureorhold.nearthemwerethepit-heads,withwinding-gearinelevatedtowersofsteelwhichweresmashedandtwistedbygun-fire;andinloositselfweretwoofthosetowersjoinedbysteelgirdersandgantries,calledthe“towerbridge”bymenoflondon.rowsofredcottageswherethefrenchminershadlivedwerecalledcorons,andwheretheyweregroupedintolargeunitstheywerecalledcites,likethecitest.-auguste,thecitest.-pierre,andthecitest.-laurent,beyondhill70,ontheoutskirtsoflens.allthoseplaceswereabandonednowbyblack-grimedmenwhohadfleddownmine-shaftsandgallerieswiththeirwomenandchildren,andhadcomeuponoursideofthelinesatnoeux-les-minesorbruayorbully-grenay,wheretheystilllivedclosetothewar.shellspiercedtheroofofthechurchinthatsqualidvillageofnoeux—les-minesandsmashedsomeofthecottagesandkilledsomeofthepeoplenowandthen.laterinthewar,whenaircraftdroppedbombsatnight,anewperilover—shadowedthemwithterror,andtheylivedintheircellarsafterdusk,andsometimeswereburiedthere.buttheywouldnotretreatfartherback—notmanyofthem—andondaysofbattleisawgroupsoffrenchminersanddirty-blousedgirlsexcitedbythepassageofourtroopsandbythewalkingwoundedwhocamestumblingback,andbystretchercasesunloadedfromambulancestothefloorsoftheirdirtycottages.highvelocitiesfellinsomeofthestreets,shrapnel-shellswhinedoverheadandburstlikethunderclaps.younghooligansoffranceslouchedaroundwiththeirhandsintheirpockets,talkingtoourmeninaqueerlinguafranca,grimacingatthosenoisesiftheydidnotcometoonear.isawlightlywoundedgirlsamongthem,withbandagedheadsandhands,buttheydidnotthinkthatareasonforescape.withsmoothlybraidedhairtheygatheredroundbritishsoldiersinsteelhatsandclaspedtheirarmsorleanedagainsttheirshoulders.theyhadknownmanyofthosemenbefore.theyweretheirsweethearts.inthosefoullittleminingtownsthebritishtroopshadlikedtheirbillets,becauseofthegirlsthere.londonboysandscots“keptcompany”withprettyslatterns,whostoletheirbadgesforkeepsakes,andtaughtthemabasepatoisoffrench,andhadasmudgeoftearsontheircheekswhentheboyswentawayforaspellintheditchesofdeath.theywerekind-heartedlittleslutswithastoundingcourage.

“aren'tyouafraidofthisplace?”iaskedoneoftheminbully-grenaywhenitwas“unhealthy”there.“youmightbekilledhereanyminute.”

sheedhershoulders.

“jem'enfichedelamort!”(“idon'tcareadamnaboutdeath.”)

ihadthesameanswerfromothergirlsinotherplaces.

thatwasthemise-en-sceneofthebattleofloos—thoseminingtownsbehindthelines,thenamazeofcommunicationtrenchesenteredfromaplacecalledphilosophe,leadinguptothetrench-linesbeyondvermelles,andrunningnorthwardtocambrinandgivenchy,oppositehulluch,haisnes,andlabassee,wheretheenemyhadhistrenchesandearthworksamongtheslagheaps,thepit-heads,thecoronsandthecites,allbrokenbygun-fire,andnowhereasignofhumanlifeaboveground,inwhichmanymenwerehidden.

stormsofgun-firebrokeloosefromourbatteriesaweekbeforethebattle.itwasourfirstdemonstrationofthosestoresofhigh-explosiveshellswhichhadbeenmadebythespeedingupofmunition-workinengland,andofagun-powerwhichhadbeengrowingsteadilysincethecomingoutofthenewarmy.theweatherwasheavywithmistandadrizzleofrain.banksofsmokemadeapalloverallthearenaofwar,anditwasstabbedandtornbytheincessantflashofburstingshells.istoodontheslagheap,staringatthiscurtainofsmoke,hourafterhour,dazedbythetumultofnoiseandbythatimpenetrableveilwhichhidallhumandrama.therewasnomovementofmentobeseen,noslaughter,noheroicepisode—onlythroughriftsinthesmoketheblurrededgesofslagheapsandpit-heads,andsmokingruins.germantrencheswerebeingbatteredin,germandugoutsmadeintothetombsoflivingmen,germanbodiestossedupwithearthandstones—allthatwascertainbutinvisible.

“veryboring,”saidanofficerbymyside.“notadamnthingtobeseen.”

“ourmenoughttohaveawalk-over,”saidanoptimist.“anylivinggermanmustbeagibberingidiotwithshell-shock.”

“iexpectthey'replayingcardsintheirdugouts,”saidtheofficerwhowasbored.“evenhighexplosivesdon'tgodownverydeep.”

“it'sstupendous,allthesame.bygod!harkatthat!itseemsmorethanhuman.it'slikesomeconvulsionofnature.”

“there'snoadventureinmodernwar,”saidtheboredman.“it'sadirtyscientificbusiness.i'dkillallchemistsandexplosiveexperts.”

“ourmenwillhaveadventureenoughwhentheygooverthetopatdawn.hellmustbeagamecomparedwiththat.”

thegunswentonpoundingaway,dayafterday,laboring,pummeling,hammering,likethorwithhisthunderbolts.itwasthepreparationforbattle.nomenwereoutofthetrenchesyet,thoughsomewerebeingkilledthereandelsewhere,atthecrossroadsbyphilosophe,andoutsidethevillageofmasingarbe,andintheruinsofvermelles,andawayupatcambrinandgivenchy.thegermangunswereansweringbackintermittently,butholdingmostoftheirfireuntilhumanfleshcameoutintotheopen.thebattlebeganatdawnonseptember25th.