ralleled heroism and endurance by every
arm of the Service, and each and all of the nationalities represented
in it.

The British rearguard frequently gave battle to their pursuers,
holding them in check or sending them staggering back with the
vehemence of the blow. On Wednesday, August 26th, the first stand was
made on the Cambrai--Le Cateau--Landrecies line. Here it was that the
2nd Connaught Rangers gave the Germans another unpleasant taste of the
fighting quality of the Irish. "It was a grand time we had, and I
wouldn't have missed it for lashin's of money," says a private of the
regiment in a racy account of the episode. "The Germans kept pressing
our rearguard all the time. They were at least five to one, and we
were in danger of being cut off. At last the Colonel could stand it no
longer, so the word was passed round that we were to give them hell
and all. 'Rangers of Connaught,' says he, 'the eyes of all Ireland are
on you to-day, and I know you never could disgrace the old country by
allowing Germans to beat you while you have arms in your hands and
hearts in your breasts. Up, then, and at them, and if you don't give
them the soundest thrashing they ever got you needn't look me in the
face again in this world--or the next!' And we went for them with just
what you would know of a prayer to the Mother of Our Lord to be
merciful to the loved ones at home if we should fall in the fight. We
charged through and through them until they broke and ran like
frightened hares in terror of hounds."

That same day one Division of the Third Army Corps was brought
hurriedly up by train to Le Cateau. In it were three other Irish
regiments--1st Irish Fusiliers, 2nd Dublin Fusiliers, and 2nd
Inniskilling Fusiliers. They went straight into action to protect one
of the flanks of the resumed retirement. In a fight near Le Cateau the
Inniskillings lost many officers and men. The Dublins were at
Cambrai. They appear to have been uproariously and outrageously Irish.
A few weeks later the London correspondent of the _Manchester
Guardian_ gave some interesting extracts from a letter written by an
English officer of the Dublins. He said that while the men were
waiting for the Germans they sang "The Wearing of the Green" and "God
Save Ireland." One of the officers remarked, by way of a joke, "We
have heard enough all day of your damned Fenian songs, boys; give us
something else." The boys then struck up, the officer says, a song
called