sisted into the fighting. A Scottish unit has
been alongside of the Australians for a considerable time. I was told
that an Australian working party, while digging a forward trench, was
sniped continually by a German machine-gunner out in front of his own
line in a shell-hole. One or two men were hit. The line on the flank of
the working party happened to be held by Scottish troops. An officer
from the Australians had to visit the Scottish line in order to make
some preparations for a forthcoming attack.

He found the Scotsmen there thirsting for that sniper's blood,
impatiently waiting for dark in order to go over the parapet and get
him--they could scarcely be held back even then, straining like hounds
in the leash.

The sniper was bagged later, and his machine-gun. It was a mixed affair,
Scottish and Australian; and I believe there was an argument as to which
owned the machine-gun.

CHAPTER XXIII

MOUQUET FARM

_France, September 7th._

On the same day on which the British took Guillemont and reached Ginchy
and Leuze Wood; on the same day on which the French pushed their line
almost to Combles; at the same time as the British attacked Thiepval
from the front, the Australians, for the fifth time, delivered a blow at
the wedge which they have all the while been driving into Thiepval from
the back, along the ridge whose crest runs northwards from Pozieres past
Mouquet Farm.

It was a heavy punch this time. I cannot tell of all these fierce
struggles here--they shall be told in full some day. In the earliest
steps towards Mouquet British troops attacked on the Australian flank,
and at least once the fighting which they met with was appallingly
heavy. Victorians, South Australians, New South Welshmen have each dealt
their blow at it. The Australians have been in heavy fighting, almost
daily, for six solid weeks; they started with three of the most terrible
battles that have ever been fought--few people, even here, realise how
heavy that fighting was. Then the tension eased as they struck those
first blows northwards. As they neared Mouquet the resistance increased.
Each of the last five blows has been stiffer to drive. On each occasion
the wedge has been driven a little farther forward. This time the blow
was heavier and the wedge went farther.

The attack was made just as a summer night was reddening into dawn. Away
to the rear over Guillemont--for the Australians were pushing almost in
an opposite dir