in spite
of the seriousness of their enterprise.

The barrage was to start at 4.20, so I left them about 4.10 to go (p. 276)
back to Battalion Headquarters in the trench, as I intended to follow
up the advance with the stretcher-bearers. On my way back I met the
Colonel, his orderly, and his piper, who a few minutes later was
killed in the attack. I shook hands with them, and the Colonel said,
"Now, Canon, if anything happens to me don't make any fuss over me;
just say a few words over me in a shell-hole." I said, "You will come
out all right, Colonel, there will be no shell-hole for you." Then, as
my senior officer, he ordered me back to the trench. I told him I
would go over the top with him if he wanted me to do so, but he would
not hear of it. When I got to the trenches only a few minutes remained
till the barrage was to start. I climbed up on the parapet and waited,
looking off into the darkness. It was a wonderful moment. When the
German flare-lights went up we could see that there was a wood on the
other side of the valley in front of us, and its outline began to grow
more distinct against the grey of the morning sky. I could see to
right and left a great stretch of country sloping gradually into the
darkness. Shells still fell behind our lines at intervals. Our own
guns were perfectly silent. What did the enemy's quietness portend?
Were the Germans aware of our contemplated assault? Were they lying in
full strength like a crouching lion ready to burst upon us in fury at
the first warning of our approach? Had all our precautions been in
vain? Or were we on the eve of a victory which was going to shatter
the iron dominion of the feudal monster? This was one of those
magnificent moments in the war which filled the soul with a strange
and wild delight. For months we had been preparing for this event, and
now it was upon us. The sky was growing lighter, and the constellation
of the Pleiades was beginning to fade in the sky above the outline of
the distant trees. I looked at my watch. Nearer and nearer the hands
crept to zero hour, but they move slowly at such times. Then at 4.20
the long barrage burst in all its fury. The hissing rain of shells
through the air on a twenty mile front made a continuous accompaniment
to the savage roar of the thousands of guns along the line. Those guns
sent their wild music round the globe, and sounded that note of
victory which only ceased when the bells of the churches in all the