ty of that.
The rifle and machine-gun bullets that came our way were not numerous
enough to cause any concern although we did lose a few men in that
way.

Here the news of the fight filtered through to us. It seemed that the
Princess Pat's (unfortunate beggars), had got another cutting-up,
together with some of the Mounted Rifles, and Major-General Mercer and
Brigadier-General Victor Williams, who had been up in the front line
on a tour of inspection, had both been wounded and captured. General
Mercer afterward died, in German hands, but General Williams
recovered and remains a prisoner. It was said that less than one
hundred from each the Pat's and the Fourth C. M. R. came out of the
fight.

[Illustration: A Shell Exploding in Front of a Dug-in Machine Gun.]

At this place several of our gun positions were in the grounds of what
had been one of the most beautiful chateaux in Flanders--the Chateau
Segard, hundreds of years old but kept up in the most modern style
until the war came. Now the buildings were but a mass of ruins. Not
only this but the grounds had been wonderfully laid out in groves,
gardens, moats and fish-ponds with carefully planned walks and drives
throughout the whole estate which comprised at least forty acres.
There were trees and plants from all over the world; beautiful borders
and hedges of sweet-smelling, flowering shrubs and cunningly planned
paths through the thickets, ending at some old wondrously carved stone
bench with perhaps an arbor covered with climbing rose bushes.

All had felt the blighting touch of the vandal shells. The trees were
shattered, the roads and paths torn up, the ponds filled with debris
and the beautiful lawn pitted with craters, but in spite of all this
devastation, the flowers and trees were making a brave fight to live.
I could not but think, as I wandered through this place, how well the
little flowers and the mighty oaks typified the spirit of France and
Belgium. Sorely stricken they were--wounded unto death; but with that
sublime courage and determination which have been the admiration of
the world they were resolved that _they should not die_.

Along the main road leading up to the chateau was a charming little
chapel, handsomely decorated and appointed. It was the only structure
on the estate that had not been struck by a shell. We used it as
sleeping quarters for two crews whose guns were located in the
immediate vicinity. One night a big shell struck so cl