CHAPTERVI

chaptervi

therewasmorethanhalfagaleblowingontheeveofthenewyear,andthewindcamehowlingwithasavageviolenceacrosstherain-sweptfields,sothatthefirstdayofafatefulyearhadastormybirth,andtherewasnopeaceonearth.

louderthanthewindwasthegreetingofthegunstoanotheryearofwar.iheardthenew-year'schoruswheniwenttoseethelastoftheyearacrossthebattlefields.ourgunsdidnotletitdieinsilence.itwentintothetombofthepast,withallitstragicmemories,tothunderoussalvos,carryingdeathwiththem.the“heavies”wereindulginginaspecialstrafethisnew—year'seve.asiwentdownaroadnearthelinesbyloosisaw,fromconcealedpositions,theflashofgunupongun.theairwassweptbyanincessantrushofshells,andtheroarofallthisartillerystupefiedone'ssenseofsound.allaboutmeinthevillageofannequin,throughwhichiwalked,therewasnoothersound,nonoiseofhumanlife.therewerenonew-year'severejoicingsamongthoserowsofminers'cottagesontheedgeofthebattlefield.halfthoselittlered-brickhouseswereblowntopieces,andwhenhereandtherethroughacrackedwindow-paneisawawoman'swhitefacepeeringoutuponmeasipassedifeltasthoughihadseenaghost-faceinsomeblackpitofhell.

foritwashellish,thisplacewreckedbyhighexplosivesandalwaysunderthefireofgermanguns.thatanyhumanbeingshouldbetherepassedallbelief.fromashell-holeinahighwallilookedacrossthefieldofbattle,wheremanyofourbesthaddied.thetowerbridgeofloosstoodgrimandgauntabovethesterilefields.throughtherainandthemistloomedthelongblackridgeofnotredamedelorette,wheremanypoorbodieslayintherottingleaves.theruinsofhaisnesandhulluchwereedagainstthesky-line.andhere,onnew—year'seve,isawnosignofhumanlifeandheardnosoundofit,butstaredatthebroaddesolationandlistenedtotheenormousclangorofgreatguns.

comingbackthatdaythroughbethuneimetsomeveryhumanlife.itwasabigpartyofbluejacketsfromthegrandfleet,whohadcometoseewhat“tommy”wasdoinginthewar.theywentintothetrenchesandsawagooddeal,becausethegermansmadeabombingraidinthatsectorandthenavalmendidtheirlittlebitbythesideoftheladsinkhaki,wholikedthisvisit.theydiscoveredthebombstoreandopenedsuchabrock'sbenefitthattheenemymusthavebeenshockedwithsurprise.oneyoungmarinewasbomb-slingingforfourhours,andgrinnedattheprodigiousmemoryasthoughhehadhadthetimeofhislife.anotherconfessedtomethathepreferredrifle-grenades,whichhefiredoffallnightuntilthedawn.therewasnosleepinthedugouts,andeveryhourwasalongthrill.

“idon'tmindsaying,”saidapettyofficerwhohadfoughtinseveralnavalactionsduringthewarandisamanofmark,“thatihadafairfrightwheniwasdoingdutyonthefire-step.'isupposei'vegottolookthroughaperiscope,'isaid.'notyou,'saidthesergeant.'atnightyouputsyourheadovertheparapet.'soovertheparapetiputmyhead,andpresentlyisawsomethingmovingbetweenthelines.myriflebegantoshake.germans!moving,sureenough,overtheopenground.ifixedbayonetandpreparedforanattack...buti'mblessedifitwasn'taswarmofrats!”

thesoldiersweregladtoshowjackthewayaboutthetrenches,andsomeofthemplayedupalittleaudaciously,as,forinstance,whenayoungfellowsatonthetopoftheparapetatdawn.

“comeupandhavealook,jack,”hesaidtooneofthebluejackets.

“notinthesetrousers,oldmate!”saidthatyoungman.

“allascoolascucumbers,”saidapettyofficer,“andtakethediscomfortsoftrenchlifeascheerilyasanymencould.it'smarvelous.goodlucktotheminthenewyear!”

behindthelinestherewasbanquetingbymenwhoweremostlydoomedtodie,andijoinedacrowdoftheminahallatlillersonthatnew-year'sday.

theyweretheheroesofloos—orsomeofthem—cameronsandseaforths,argyllandsutherlandhighlanders,gordonsandking'sownscottishborderers,who,withthelondonmen,werefirstonhill70andawaytothecitest.-auguste.theyleftmanycomradesthere,andtheirbattalionshavebeenfilledupwithnewdrafts—ofthesametypeasthemselvesandofthesamegrit—butthatdaynoghostofgrief,nodarkshadowofgloom,wasuponanyofthefacesuponwhichilookedroundafestiveboardinalong,frenchhall,towhichtheirwoundedcameinthosedaysoftheseptemberbattle.

therewereyoungmentherefromthescottishuniversitiesandfromhighlandfarms,sittingshouldertoshoulderinajollycomradeshipwhichburstintosongbetweeneverymouthfulofthefeast.ontheplatformabovethebanqueting-boardapiperwasplaying,whenicamein,andthishallinfrancewasfilledwiththewildstrainsofit.

“andthey'regrand,thepipes,”saidoneofthecamerons.“wheni'vebeensaetiredonthemarchicouldhavelaiddoonan'dee'dthetoucho'thepipeshasfairliftedmeupagen.”

thepipermadewayforakiltieatthepiano,andforhighlanders,whosangoldsongsfullofmelancholy,whichseemedtomaketheheartsofhiscomradesgrowgladaswhentheyhelpedhimwith“thebonnie,bonniebanksoflochlomond.”buttheroofnearlyflewoffthehallto“themarchofthecameronmen,”andthewallsweregreatlystrainedwhentheregimentalmarchingsongbrokeateveryverseintowildhighlandshoutsandthewar-crywhichwasheardatloosof“camerons,forward!”“forward,camerons!”

“anenglishmanisgood,”saidoneofthecamerons,leaningoverthetabletome,“andanirishmanisgood,butascotisthebestofall.”thenhestruckthepalmofonehandwiththefistofanother.“butthelondonmen,”hesaid,withafine,joyouslaughatsomegoodmemory,“areasgoodasanyfighting-meninfrance.myword,yeshouldhaveseen'emonseptember25th.andthelondonirishwerejustlions!”

outintherain-slashedstreetimetthecolonelofabattalionofargyllsandsutherlands,withseveralofhisofficers;atall,thinofficerwithalongstride,whowaskilledwhenanotheryearhadpassed.hebeckonedtomeandsaid:“i'mgoingtheroundsofthebilletstowishthemengoodluckinthenewyear.it'sastrainontheconstitution,asihavetodrinktheirhealtheachtime!”

heborethestraingallantly,andtherewassomethingnobleandchivalrousinthewayhespoketoallhismen,gatheredtogetherinvariousroomsinoldflemishhouses,roundplum-puddingfromhomeorfeastsprovidedbythearmycooks.toeachgroupofmenhemadethesamekindofspeech,thankingthemfromhisheartforalltheircourage.

“youwerethankedbythreegenerals,”hesaid,“afteryourattackatloos,andyouupheldtheoldreputationoftheregiment.i'mproudofyou.andafterward,innovember,whenyouhadthedevilofatimeinthetrenches,youstuckitsplendidlyandcameoutwithhighspirits.iwishyouallahappynewyear,andwhateverthefuturemaybringiknowicancountonyou.”

ineverybillettherewerethreecheersforthecolonel,andanotherthreeforthestaffcaptain,andthoughthecolonelprotestedthathewasafraidofspendinganightintheguard-room(therewereshoutsoflaughteratthis),hedrankhissipofneatwhisky,accordingtothecustomoftheday.

“toodle-oo,oldbird!”saidakiltedcockney,halfwayupaladder,onwhichheswayedperilously,beingverydrunk;butthecoloneldidnothearthisfamiliarwayofaddress.

inmanybilletsandinmanyhallsthefeastofnewyear'sdaywaskeptingoodcomradeshipbymenwhohadfaceddeathtogether,andwhointheyearthatwascomingfoughtinmanybattlesandfellonmanyfields.