n in the
glow of the firelight was almost indescribable. I was filled with awe at
their behaviour. I reverenced them more than I had ever done before; and
I felt like going down on my knees and thanking God I was an Englishman.
No words of mine can fitly describe this wonderful scene. And all the
time more men, and still more men, were pouring into the trenches, and
munitions of all descriptions were being served out.

The bursting German shells, and the shrieks overhead of the missiles
from our own guns, were for the moment forgotten in the immensity of the
sights around me. I turned and groped the way back to my shelter and, as
I did so, our fire increased in intensity. This was the prelude to the
greatest attack ever made in the history of the world, and ere the sun
set on the morrow many of these heroes--the Lancashire Fusiliers, Royal
Fusiliers, Middlesex, etc.--would be lying dead on the field of battle,
their lives sacrificed that civilisation might live.

At last I found a friend, and sitting down to our box-table we had a
meal together. Afterwards I wandered out, and entered several other
dug-outs, where friends were resting. They all seemed anxious for the
morning to come. I met the mining officer.

"I say; let me check my watch by yours," I said. "As the mine is going
up at 7.20 I shall want to start my machine about half a minute
beforehand."

"Right-o!" he said. We then checked watches.

I bade him good night, and also the others, and the best of luck.

"Same to you," they cried in general chorus. "I hope to heavens you get
through with it, and show them all at home in England how the boys
fight. They will then realise what war really means. Good night, old
man."

"Good night," I replied, and then found my way back to the shelter. I
rolled myself in a blanket, and tried to sleep.

The night was very cold. I lay shivering in my blanket and could not get
warm. The guns were continually crashing out. Shells were bursting just
outside with appalling regularity. Suddenly they seemed to quieten down,
as if by some means the Germans had got to know of our great plans and
were preparing for the blow. Presently everything was comparatively
quiet, except for the scurrying of countless rats, running and jumping
over my body, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I expect
I must have dozed off to sleep, for when I awoke day was breaking, and
the din of the gun-fire was terrific. Innumerable worlds