heir kindness, but
thought it prudent, for reasons of personal cleanliness, not to accept
it. It always gave me great pleasure to come upon friends in out of
the way places. I remember meeting an officer late one night near the
front at Loos. It was very dark, and, as soon as he recognized me, he
exclaimed, "Here's old Canon Scott, I'll be d--d!" "My friend," I said
solemnly, "I hope you will not allow that sad truth to get abroad. (p. 198)
The Canadian Government is paying me a large salary to try and keep
you from that awful fate, and if they hear that your meeting me has
had such a result, I shall lose my job." He apologized for the expression,
and said it was only meant as an exclamation of surprise.

By the beginning of August, everything was ready for the attack, and
on the 14th, carrying my rations with me, I made my way to the 7th
Siege Battery; for I had arranged to go to their observation post and
watch the barrage from there. I started off in the evening, with one
of the gunners. We skirted Maroc and reached the O.P., which was called
St. Pat's. It was a long walk over the open and through the trenches
before we got into the place. From it we looked down the slope towards
our front line, and beyond this we saw the rise in the ground called
Hill 70, held by the Germans. The barrage was to begin at four
twenty-five in the morning; so the gunner and I went down into a
dugout and tried to get a little rest. Before we got to sleep,
however, we became aware of the smell of gas, and, hearing the
tramping of feet in the trench at the top of the stairs, I went up and
found the men of the 14th Battalion with their helmets on going
forward in preparation for the advance. They recognized me because I
did not put on my mask, and as they passed they shook hands with me
and I wished them "good luck in the name of the Lord." Such cheery
souls they were, going forth in their stifling helmets to the unknown
dangers which awaited them.

I found that sleep was impossible, so I went up to the O.P. and waited
for the barrage. It was a lovely night; the stars were shining
beautifully, and the constellation of Orion hung on the horizon in the
eastern sky, with the pale moon above. A great silence, stirred only
by the morning breeze, brooded over the wide expanse of darkness.
Then, at four-twenty-five, the guns burst forth in all their fury, and
all along the German line I saw not only exploding shells, but the
bursting oil drums w