generations of Canadians in future ages will visit that lonely
tribute to the heroism of those, who, leaving home and loved ones,
voluntarily came and laid down their lives in order that our country
might be free.

CHAPTER XXVI. (p. 240)

THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE.

_March, 1918._

Over four months had passed away since my return from Rome, so leave
was again due. Immediately after the unveiling of the Artillery
monument I started off in a car for Boulogne, and the next afternoon
arrived in London. Conditions there were worse than they had been the
year before. The streets were darker and food was scarcer. I went as
far north as Edinburgh, but when I arrived at that city I found it
cold and wintry and wrapped in mists. There were many naval men there,
and I paid an interesting visit to a damaged submarine which was being
repaired in the dry-dock. It was of course nice to meet friends again,
but, beyond that, my last leave was not a pleasant one. It was a time
of great anxiety. The Americans had come into the war, but they were
not yet ready. Another campaign was before us, and the issue of it
none could foresee. I was haunted perpetually by the dread of meeting
with some accident, and so being sent back from the front. Several
times I had a vivid dream, that I had got back to Canada and found
that the war was still going on and I could not return to it. I shall
never forget the joy of waking on such occasions and looking with
dawning consciousness upon my surroundings and feeling that I was
still at the front. It was a happy day for me, therefore, when on
March 8th I arrived once more at Bracquemont, in the midst of my
beloved war-family, and able to re-visit Lievin, Loos, and Hill 70.

My favorite home in the trenches was the dugout in the chalk-pit,
which I have just described, and I often wish I could be suddenly
transported there and revive old memories. We were planning at this
time to make a big gas-attack along the Canadian Corps front. Three
thousand gas-cylinders were to be fired by electricity upon the enemy.
As I wanted to see this, I made my way to the chalk-pit. The time
fixed for the event was five minutes to eleven at night. If the attack
was to come off, the word "Japan" was to come through on the wires;
if, owing to the wind being in the wrong direction, the attack had to
be postponed, the word "Russia" would be sent. At 10.45 I climbed up
t