sprung, and we were to give the Hun a
bombardment such as he had never had before.

Two field-guns were brought up on the night of the 14th and placed in
_epaulements_ that had been dug in rear of the front-line trench to
receive them. They were to be kept masked till the last moment before
the attack, when they would cut wire and silence machine-guns along the
front over which we were to attack.

The Central Ontario Battalion was to make the attack, supported by the
Toronto Battalion, while the Eastern and Western Battalions were to man
the captured trench, consolidate it, and provide for any
counter-attacks. On the left, the East Yorks and another battalion of
that brigade were to co-operate.

Meanwhile the mine was being hastily completed, and by noon on the 15th
it was ready for firing, the explosive being carried up by Lyte and his
satellites from near the distillery. They had had rather a bad time of
it crossing the Pont Fixe, a wrecked bridge that was under observation
from the German position.

The Huns, seeing the first load of these white boxes being carried over
the bridge, laid a gun on it and when the second party came across
opened fire on them, wounding several men close to F----, the Quebecker,
who as junior sub. was bringing up the rear. He, however, kept the men
from dropping the explosive, and the party reached the mine shaft
without any further casualties.

Our three days' bombardment, which had started on the night of the 13th,
now died down slightly, and the Germans, having had ample time to bring
up their reinforcements, waited for the attack.

At 3 o'clock our two companies in the front line drew off to the right
and the men of the Central Ontarios took their places, while the
communication trenches leading up were choked with the Toronto men who
were to form their supports. Our artillery now tuned up again and caught
the Germans by surprise. They, in turn, shelled us heavily, causing many
casualties owing to the crowding of the trench.

[Illustration: OUR SUPPORT TRENCHES AT GIVENCHY.]

A---- and the scout-corporal went up the trench and were caught by a
shell and the corporal was killed, A---- being fortunate in escaping,
though very severely wounded.

Another shell lit fairly on a bomb depot about this time and destroyed
one of our reserves of these weapons, and a third shell killed
Lieutenant-Colonel Beecher, the second in command of the attacking
battalion.

The two guns in the