n five hundred yards of it. What a sight! What a
film it will be!"

I stood watching the bombardment for some time, then fixing my camera
position, I returned. Divisional H.Q. told me I should be informed in
ample time when the attack was to be made.

That afternoon I returned to G.H.Q., but the best laid schemes of mice
and men aft gang agley. I was told that night to prepare immediately to
proceed to the H.Q. of a certain Division, with instructions to attach
myself to them for the next week; all particulars would be given to me
in the morning.

I received my instructions next morning. I was to proceed to the
Division, report myself, and I should receive all the information and
assistance I required. With parting wishes for the best of luck, and
"don't come back wounded," I left H.Q., and proceeded by car to the
Company H.Q., where I was received with every courtesy by General ----.

He told me the best thing to do was to go to Divisional H.Q. and see the
General. He had been informed of my arrival, and the final details could
be arranged with him, such as the best points of vantage for fixing up
my camera. Accordingly I hurried off to Divisional H.Q. and met the
General. On being ushered into his room, I found him sitting at a table
with a large scale map of a certain section of our line before him. He
looked the very incarnation of indomitable will, this General of the
incomparable ---- Division.

I quickly explained my mission, and told him I should like to go to the
front trenches to choose my position.

"Certainly," he said, "that is a very wise plan, but if you will look
here I will show you the spot which, in my opinion, will make an ideal
place. This is the German position. This, of course, is Beaumont Hamel,
which is our objective. This is as far as we are going; it will be a
pivot from which the whole front south of us will radiate. We are going
to give the village an intense bombardment this afternoon, at 4 o'clock;
perhaps you would like to obtain that?"

"Yes, sir," I replied, "it is most necessary to my story. What guns are
you using?"

"Everything, from trench mortars to 15-inch howitzers. We are going to
literally raze it to the ground. It is one of the strongest German
redoubts, and it's not going to be an easy job to occupy it; but we
achieved the impossible at Gallipoli, and with God's help we will win
here. There is a spot here in our firing trench called 'Jacob's
Ladder,'" and pointing t