and La Boisselle.'

'No, La Boisselle is not taken.'

'Yes, it is, and Contalmaison too.'

'Nonsense, you fool! that's miles on.'

'The French are doing very well, too. Fritz is having a hot time.
We'll be in Bapaume in no time.' And so on.

My general impression was that our men were doing very well south of
the Ancre, up as far as Thiepval, but north of the Ancre we were not so
successful. The Germans were putting up a tremendous resistance, and
I, unfortunately, was north of the Ancre. I will not give the exact
locality, nor the name of the village which was our objective; but this
village had been, as we thought, bombarded with such intensity that our
work ought to be easy. Our casualties were very heavy, and I shall
never forget the heartaches I had when I knew that many of my men whom
I had learned to know and to love were lying in nameless graves, torn,
battered and unrecognizable, while many more would linger for a few
hours in agony, and presently a little mound would cover them, and a
little wooden cross would indicate their last resting-place.

I never saw braver men. Even now my heart thrills at the abandon with
which they rushed into every kind of danger, not grimly and doggedly,
so much, as gaily, and with a laugh. They mocked at danger. I have
seen men crossing No Man's Land, with machine-gun bullets flying all
round them, stop coolly to light their cigarettes, and then go on again
humming a song.

The advance had been in progress some days, at least I think so, but I
am not sure,--one day seemed just like another. We had been at it for
many hours, I remember, and we were all dead tired. I could see that
some of the poor lads were half asleep, and ready to drop, through
sheer weariness. We had taken a difficult position, but we were
assured before we took it that our success would mean certainty to the
accomplishment of the larger plan. Our objective was the taking of a
fortified village a little farther on.

Heavy-eyed and heavy-limbed, the boys still stuck to it, and looked
eagerly forward towards the accomplishment of their work. It is true
our ranks were terribly decimated, but the enemy had suffered far worse
than we, and therefore we were confident. Then the news came that we
were to be relieved. Fresh battalions had come up to take our places,
and we were told that we might get back and rest.

Our boys were disappointed at this, although they were glad of the
reprieve.