it, received the
order to retire. To do that necessitated fighting their way back
through the thickening line of their enemy. Those British Territorials
had held their peculiar position several hours, and had suffered
severely in consequence; but their loss was undoubtedly much larger
when retiring to their former line. They fought the greater part of
the afternoon and well into the evening in endeavoring to get back;
and finally a comparatively few of them succeeded. The last dash to
the British trenches was made over a barren piece of ground which
was so flat that there was no opportunity for concealment. And
here the Germans raked what was left of the battalion with rifle
and machine-gun fire. Ultimately, however, a portion of the brave
band returned to the British trenches. Previous to withdrawing
the survivors from the front, General Sir Henry Rawlinson told
them that their gaining the position which they took and holding
it as long as they did had not only relieved the pressure on Ypres
but had aided General Foch's army to advance between Arras and La
Bassee. In conclusion he said: "It was a feat of arms surpassed
by no battalion in this great war."

The Sussex and Northampton troops made a desperate effort to get
into the German trenches on the morning in which this action started,
but they never got nearer than forty yards, being stopped by the
deluge of shrapnel, rifle, and machine-gun fire to which they were
subjected. When they were ordered to return to the British trenches,
those 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 reenforceme