hose who
remained able to make the attempt found it quite as dangerous as
trying to go forward. That afternoon the Black Watch and the First
Cameronians charged where the Sussex and Northamptons had been
repulsed, but the Scotchmen had but little more success. It is true
some of the men from the land of the heather got into the German
trenches; but they did not survive. The determination of the British
was shown when men, who had been wounded in the first charge and been
unable to return to their own line, joined the Scots in their mad rush
to death. Those men had lain under fire twelve hours before making
their dying assault on the German trenches. It had been expected the
Scotchmen would get into the opposing trenches and bomb and bayonet
the Teutons out. Then reenforcements would be sent from the British
line. But the artillery of King George was unable to check the
devastating work of the kaiser's big guns and give the reenforcements
a clear field through which to go to the aid of the attacking force.
The result was that the Germans continued such a leaden hail between
the lines that it was sending soldiers to certain death to order them
to cross the zone of fire. The remnant of the Scottish regiments was
recalled, and it lost as many men on its return as it had in its
desperate struggle to reach the German trenches.

Both the Kensingtons and the Scots found groups of German machine
guns, doing most destructive work, that could have been rendered
useless if the British had had a supply of high-explosive shells.
Under the circumstances there was nothing for Sir Douglas Haig to do
but to order his men all along the line to retire. They obeyed the
order sullenly, and many of them were slain in their attempt to get
back to their own trenches. But their comrades felt they had not died
wholly in vain; for the woeful lack of lyddite shells thus became
known in England and the indignation thus aroused resulted in the
appointment of a minister of munitions who organized the manufacture
of the necessary explosives on a scale heretofore unattempted by the
British. A lesson had been learned, but at a fearful cost to life.

The same lesson was being taught the British public at another section
of the battle front. Its soldiers not only were unable to maintain a
successful artillery fire, but the fact became so impressed on the
German mind that the Teutons in the Ypres and Lille regions felt
assured that their infantry had the