t their dinners, which consists of bread and
cheese at 3 P.M., so that they will go into the fight on full
stomachs.

I have had no sleep or proper food for nearly two days. Will lie down
and get an hour's rest before the attack.

CHAPTER XV

THE ADVANCE THROUGH LEUZE WOOD

NEW OPERATION ORDERS. "AT ANY COST." LIKE RATS IN A TRAP

I had hardly closed my eyes when a runner from headquarters came
hurrying along the line, and was directed to where I was dozing at the
bottom of a trench.

"Message from the C.O., sir, very urgent."

I signed the receipt and tore the envelope open. Good heavens! new
operation orders! I was astounded. I looked again, hardly daring to
believe my eyes. Sure enough, there was no mistake about it, three
pages of closely written operation orders. The head-line seemed to be
mocking me:

"Fresh operation orders, cancelling those issued this morning."

I read on: "You are to advance on through Leuze Wood, and attack from
that part of the wood which forms the fourth side of the square-shaped
trench, thus attacking the inside of the square; B Company taking the
lower half, and C Company the upper half; A Company to be in support."

A cold shiver ran down my back. What a calamity! and after all the
pains I had taken to work out the details of the attack, and that
dreadful night spent in digging these trenches to jump off from. Every
man knew what to do, and now at the eleventh hour the whole plan was
altered.

I glanced again at the new orders:

"You are to be at the new place of assembly by 3.30 P.M.; zero hour is
4.45."

I looked at my watch--Great Scott! it was already 2.15; at 3 P.M. I
must commence the advance through the wood.

The men had not yet commenced their dinners. What time was there? and
how was it possible to sit down quietly and digest those three pages
of new orders and understand their meaning? What time had I to make
new plans and explain to each man his new task?

There was not a moment to be lost; I turned to my two runners:

"Dinners to be eaten at once. Platoon commanders wanted at the
double."

I waited, and by and by the platoon commanders, Second Lieutenant
Farman and Chislehirst, and Sergeants Blackwell and Barnes, came
running along the top, snipers shooting at them as they ran along.
They halted on the parados, saluting as they came up, and, still
standing up, awaited orders, seemingly indifferent to the excellent
target which they presented.