CHAPTERXX

chapterxx

thewinterofdiscontenthadpassed.summerhadcomewithawealthofbeautyinthefieldsoffrancethissidethebeltofblastedearth.thegrasswasatapestryofflowers,andtitsandwarblersandthegoldenorioleweremakingmusicinthewoods.atduskthenightingalesangasthoughnowarwerenearitslove,andatbroadnoondayamillionlarksroseabovethetallwheatwithagreathighchorusofgladnotes.

amongthebritisharmiestherewashopeagain,immensefaiththatbelievedoncemoreinanendingtothewar.verdunhadbeensaved.theenemyhadbeenslaughtered.hisreserveswerethinandhardtoget(sosaidintelligence)andthebritish,strongerthantheyhadeverbeen,inmen,andguns,andshells,andaircraft,andallmaterialofwar,weregoingtobelaunchedinagreatoffensive.nomoretrenchwarfare.nomoredyinginditches.outintotheopen,withanarmyofpursuit(rawlinson's)andaquickbreak-through.itwastobe“thegreatpush.”thelastbattlesweretobefoughtbeforetheyeardiedagain,thoughmanymenwoulddiebeforethattime.

upinthesalientsomethinghappenedtomakemenquestiontheweaknessoftheenemy,butthenewsdidnotspreadveryfarandtherewasalottodoelsewhere,onthesomme,wherethesalientseemedalongwayoff.itwasthecanadianstowhomithappened,anditwasanuglything.

onjune2daflameoffirefrommanybatteriesopenedupontheirlinesinsanctuarywoodandmaplecopse,beyondthelinesofypres,andtragedybefellthem.iwenttoseethosewholivedthroughitandstoodinthepresenceofmenwhohadescapedfromtheverypitsofthathellwhichhadbeeninventedbyhumanbeingsoutoftheearth'schemistry,andyethadkepttheirreason.

theenemy'sbombardmentbegansuddenly,withonegreatcrashofguns,athalfpasteightonfridaymorning.generalsmercerandwilliamshadgoneuptoinspectthetrenchesatsixo'clockinthemorning.

ithadbeenalmostsilentalongthelineswhentheenemy'sbatteriesopenedfirewithoneenormousthunderstroke,whichwasfollowedbycontinuoussalvos.theshellscamefromnearlyeverypointofthecompass—north,east,andsouth.theevilspellofthesalientwasoverourmenagain.

inthetrenchesjustsouthofhoogeweretheprincesspatricia'slightinfantry,withsomebattalionsoftheroyalcanadianregimentsouthofthem,andsomeofthecanadianmountedrifles(whohadlongbeendismounted),andunitsfromanothercanadiandivisionattheextremeendoftheirlineoffront.itwasthosemenwhohadtosufferthetempestoftheenemy'sshells.

earthbelowthemopenedupintogreatcratersashigh-explosiveshellsburstcontinually,flingingupmassesofsoil,flatteningoutbreastworksandscatteringsand-bagsintodust.

canadiansinthefronttrenchesheldoninthemidstofthisuproar.“theytookitall,”saidoneoftheofficers,andinthatphrase,spokensimplybyamanwhowasthere,too,liesthespiritofprideandsacrifice.“theytookitall”anddidnotbudge,thoughtheskyseemedtobeopeningabovethemandtheearthbelowthem.

thebombardmentcontinuedwithoutapauseforfivehours,bywhichtimemostofourfronttrencheshadbeenannihilated.ataboutaquarterpastonetheenemy'sgunsliftedalittle,andthroughthedensesmoke-cloudswhichmadeasolidbaracrossnoman'slandappearedamassofgermaninfantry.theyworetheirpacksandfullfield-kit,asthoughtheyhadcometostay.

perhapstheyexpectedthatnoonelivedinthebritishtrenches,anditwasareasonableidea,butwrong.therewerebravemenremainingthere,aliveanddeterminedtofight.althoughtheorderforretirementhadbeengiven,singlefigureshereandtherewereseentogetoverthebrokenparapetsandgoforwardtomeettheenemyhalfway.theydiedtoaman,fighting.itseemedtomeoneofthemostpitifulandheroicthingsofthiswar,thatlittlecrowdofmen,manyofthemwounded,someofthemdazedanddeaf,stumblingforwardtotheircertaindeathtoopposetheenemy'sadvance.

fromthenetworkoftrenchesbehind,notaltogethersmashed,therewastimeformentoretiretoasecondlineofdefense,iftheywerestillunwoundedandhadstrengthtogo.anofficer—captaincrossman—incommandofoneofthesesupportcompanies,broughtseveralmenoutofatrench,butdidnotfollowon.heturnedagain,facingtheenemy,andwaslastseen—“abig,huskyman,”saysoneofhiscomrades—ashefiredhisrevolverandthenflungitintoagerman'sface.

colonelshawofthe1stbattalion,c.m.r.,ralliedeightymenoutofthecumberlanddugouts,anddiedfighting.thegermanswerekeptatbayforsometime,buttheyflungtheirbombsintothesquareofmen,sothatveryfewremainedalive.whenonlyeightwerestillfightingamongthebodiesoftheircomradesthesetatteredandblood-splashedmen,standingtherefiercelycontemptuousoftheenemyanddeath,wereorderedtoretirebymajorpalmer,thelastofficeramongthem.

meanwhilethebattalionsinsupportwereholdingfirminspiteoftheshell-fire,whichragedabovethemalso,anditwasagainstthissecondlineofcanadiansthatthegermaninfantrycameup—andbroke.

inthecenterthegermanthrustwashardtowardzillebekelake.heresomeofthecanadianrifleswereinsupport,andassoonastheinfantryattackbegantheywereorderedforwardtomeetandchecktheenemy.anofficerincommandofoneoftheirbattalionsafterwardtoldmethatheledhismenacrosscountrytomaplecopseundersuchafireashehadneverseen.becauseofthecomradesinfront,indireneedofhelp,nonoticewastakenasthewoundedfell,buttheotherspressedonasfastastheycouldgo.

maplecopsewasreached,andherethemenhaltedandawaitedtheenemywithanotherbattalionwhowerealreadyholdingthiswoodofsixorsevenacres.whenthegermantroopsarrivedtheymayhaveexpectedtomeetnogreatresistance.theymetawitheringfire,whichcausedthembloodylosses.thecanadianshadassembledatvariouspoints,whichbecamestrongholdsofdefensewithmachine-gunsandbombstores,andthemenheldtheirfireuntiltheenemywaswithincloserange,sothattheyworkedhavocamongthem.butthegermangunsneverceasedandmanycanadiansfell.col.e.h.baker,amemberofthecanadianparliament,fellwithapieceofshellinhislung.

hourafterhourourgunnersfedtheirbreechesandpouredoutshells.theedgeofthesalientwassweptwithfire,and,thoughthecanadianlosseswerefrightful,thegermanssufferedalso,sothatthebattlefieldwasonegreatshambles.ourownwounded,whowerebroughtback,owetheirlivestothestretcher-bearers,whoweresupremeindevotion.theyworkedinandoutacrossthatshell-sweptgroundhourafterhourthroughthedayandnight,rescuingmanystrickenmenatagreatcostinlifetothemselves.outofonepartyoftwentyonlyfiveremainedalive.“noonecansay,”saidoneoftheirofficers,“thatthecanadiansdonotknowhowtodie.”

noonewoulddenythat.

outofthreethousandmeninthecanadian8thbrigadetheircasualtiesweretwenty-twohundred.

therewere151survivorsfromthe1stbattalioncanadianmountedrifles,130fromthe4thbattalion,350fromthe5th,520fromthe2nd.thosearethefiguresofmassacre.

elevendayslaterthecanadianstooktheirrevenge.theirowngunswerebutasmallpartofthehugeorchestraof“heavies”andfieldbatterieswhichplayedthedevil'stattoouponthegermanpositionsinouroldtrenches.itwasannihilating,andthegermansoldiershadtoendurethesameexperienceastheirgunshadgiventocanadiantroopsonthesameground.trenchesalreadybatteredweresmashedagain.theearth,whichwasplowedwithshellsintheirownattack,wasflungupagainbyourshells.itwashellagainforpoorhumanwretches.

thecanadiantroopschargedattwoo'clockinthemorning.theirattackwasdirectedtothepartofthelinefromthesouthernendofsanctuarywoodtomountgorst,aboutamile,whichincludedarmaghwood,observatoryhill,andmountgorstitself.

theattackwentquicklyandthemenexpectedgreatertrouble.theenemy'sshell-firewasheavy,butthecanadiansgotthroughundercoveroftheirownguns,whichhadlengthenedtheirfusesalittleandcontinuedanintensebombardmentbehindtheenemy'sfirstline.themenadvancedinopenorderandworkeddownwardandsouthwardintotheiroldpositions.

inoneplaceofattackaboutfortygermans,whofoughtdesperately,werekilledalmosttoaman,justascolonelshawhaddiedonjune2dwithhispartyofeightymenwhohadralliedroundhim.itwasoneshamblesforanother,andthegermanswerenotlessbrave,itseems.

oneofficerandonehundredandthirteenmensurrendered.theofficerwasgladtoescapefromthedeathtowhichhehadresignedhimselfwhenourbombardmentbegan.

“iknewhowitwouldbe,”hesaid.“wehadorderstotakethisground,andtookit;butweknewyouwouldcomebackagain.youhadtodoso.sohereiam.”

partsofthelineweredeserted,exceptbythedead.inoneplacethestoreswhichhadbeenburiedbythecanadiansbeforetheyleftwerestillthere,untouchedbytheenemy.ourbombardmenthadmadeitimpossibleforhistroopstoconsolidatetheirpositionandtoholdthelinesteady.

theyhadjusttakencoverintheoldbitsoftrench,inshell-holesandcraters,andbehindscatteredsand-bags,andhadbeenpoundedthere.thecanadianswerebackagain.