ponse, though we were reminded that it might at any
minute develop with sudden ferocity.

Now the flashes of the guns grew dim. A transformation more wonderful
than artillery could produce, that of night into day, was in process.
Not a curtain but the sun's ball of fire, undisturbed by any efforts of
the human beings on a few square miles of earth, was holding to his
schedule in as kindly a fashion as ever toward planets which kept at a
respectful distance from his molten artillery concentration.

Out of the blanket which hid the field appeared the great welts of chalk
of the main line trenches, then the lesser connecting ones; the woods
became black patches and the remaining tree-trunks gaunt, still and
dismal sentinels of the gray ruins of the villages, until finally all
the conformations of the scarred and tortured slope were distinct in the
first fresh light of a brilliant summer's day. Where the blazes had been
was the burst of black smoke from shells and we saw that it was still
German fire along the visible line of the British objective, assuring us
that the British had won the ground which they had set out to take and
were holding it.

"Up and at them!" had done the trick this time, and trick it was; a
trick or stratagem, to use the higher sounding word; a trick in not
waiting on the general attack for the taking of Trones according to
obvious tactics, but including Trones in the sweep; a trick in the
daring way that the infantry was sent in ahead of the answering German
curtain of fire.

All the news was good that day. The British had swept through Bazentin
Wood and taken the Bazentin villages. They held Trones Wood and were in
Delville and High Woods. A footing was established on the Ridge where
the British could fight for final mastery on even terms with the enemy.
"Slight losses" came the reports from corps and divisions and
confirmation of official reports was seen in the paucity of the wounded
arriving at the casualty clearing stations and in the faces of officers
and men everywhere. Even British phlegm yielded to exhilaration.

XIV

THE CAVALRY GOES IN

The "dodo" band--Cavalry a luxury--Cavalry, however, may not be
discarded--What ten thousand horse might do--A taste of action for the
cavalry--An "incident"--Horses that had the luck to "go in"--Cavalrymen
who showed signs of action--The novelty of a cavalry action--A camp
group--Germans caught unawares--Horsemen and an aeropl