ight that ye so bravely led
We've taken up."

They did--and bravely. They heard the cry--"If ye break faith, we shall
not sleep."

II. With the Guns

If there was nothing remarkable about the publication of "In Flanders
Fields", there was something momentous in the moment of writing it.
And yet it was a sure instinct which prompted the writer to send it to
'Punch'. A rational man wishes to know the news of the world in which he
lives; and if he is interested in life, he is eager to know how men feel
and comport themselves amongst the events which are passing. For this
purpose 'Punch' is the great newspaper of the world, and these lines
describe better than any other how men felt in that great moment.

It was in April, 1915. The enemy was in the full cry of victory. All
that remained for him was to occupy Paris, as once he did before, and
to seize the Channel ports. Then France, England, and the world were
doomed. All winter the German had spent in repairing his plans, which
had gone somewhat awry on the Marne. He had devised his final stroke,
and it fell upon the Canadians at Ypres. This battle, known as the
second battle of Ypres, culminated on April 22nd, but it really extended
over the whole month.

The inner history of war is written from the recorded impressions of men
who have endured it. John McCrae in a series of letters to his mother,
cast in the form of a diary, has set down in words the impressions which
this event of the war made upon a peculiarly sensitive mind. The
account is here transcribed without any attempt at "amplification", or
"clarifying" by notes upon incidents or references to places. These are
only too well known.

Friday, April 23rd, 1915.

As we moved up last evening, there was heavy firing about 4.30 on our
left, the hour at which the general attack with gas was made when the
French line broke. We could see the shells bursting over Ypres, and in
a small village to our left, meeting General----, C.R.A., of one of
the divisions, he ordered us to halt for orders. We sent forward
notifications to our Headquarters, and sent out orderlies to get in
touch with the batteries of the farther forward brigades already in
action. The story of these guns will be read elsewhere. They had a tough
time, but got away safely, and did wonderful service. One battery fired
in two opposite directions at once, and both batteries fired at point
blank, open sights, at Germans in the ope