morning I was wakened in my
room by the laughter of men on the other side of the canvas wall, and
I heard one old soldier telling, to the amusement of his fellows, (p. 242)
of my visit on the previous evening. He said "We were out there with
the shells falling round us, and who should come up but the Canon, and
the first thing the old beggar said was, 'Boys, what a lovely night it
is.'" The men roared at the idea. It was always illuminating to get a
chance of seeing yourself as others saw you.

That day, before I had gone to the chalk-pit, I heard from a staff
officer at Corps of the German attack in the South, and I gathered
from his manner that things were not going well. On March 29th we
suddenly shifted our headquarters to Chateau de la Haie. Here we were
told that we had to be ready to move again at a moment's notice. Very
bad news had come from the South, for the Germans were advancing, and
our Fifth Army had been pushed back. The enemy had now got the
initiative into his hands, and things were exceedingly serious. The
Americans would not be ready for some time, and the question was how
to stay the onrush of the fresh divisions which the Germans were
hurling against us. An order from General Currie, couched in beautiful
language, told us that there was to be no retreat for Canadians, and
that, if need be, we should fall where we stood. There was no panic,
only firmer resolve and greater activity in every department. Though I
made it a point of never questioning our staff about war secrets, I
soon became aware that our Division was to be sent South to try and
stem the oncoming tide.

Every night the 4th Divisional concert party gave an entertainment in
the theatre, which was crowded with men. A stranger could not have
told from the roars of laughter that shook the audience from time to
time that we were about to face the fiercest ordeal of the war. The
2nd Brigade was quartered round us first, and one night in the theatre
an officer appeared in front of the stage between the acts and ordered
all the officers and men of the 5th Battalion, who were present, to
report at once to their headquarters. Instantly the men got up and
left, the rows of vacant seats looking quite tragic. The play went on.
Again, another battalion, and another, was called off. The audience
dwindled. It reminded one of the description in the "Tale of Two
Cities" of the condemned men in prison waiting for the call of the
executioner. Before t