e resumed the march. We understood that we were in the vicinity of Ypres.
We force-marched for all we were worth, and late in the afternoon we came
to a village. Here we were billeted on the side nearest us. After getting
rations, we needed no coaxing to sleep.

It was still dark when we got orders to fall in and march at top speed.
The village was being shelled.

This seemed to have been a spot for concentrating for we met with other
regiments there--one of them the King's Royal Rifles. Beyond the far side
of the village at a certain distance one could see trees scattered here
and there, but farther on the country was flat. It was in this direction
we marched.

Orders were whispered along the line that we were to maintain strict
silence and no "fags" were to be lighted, as we were near the enemy, and
were attempting to move without his knowledge. Our officers gave us the
encouraging news that we were about to be up against some hard
fighting--harder than we had so far experienced. Our commander, Major J.
T. C. Murray, expressed the hope that we would keep the name of the "Black
Watch" where our predecessors had placed it--in the foremost rank. And so
we advanced in darkness, with our minds on serious things.

We were in two lines of skirmishing order, one pace apart. Our object was
to reach the flat ground beyond the trees and dig ourselves in before
dawn. We did this. The digging was an easy matter as the earth was marshy
and our entrenching tools proved fit enough for the task. Shells were
flying overhead continually, making an awful humming noise, and some of
them passed so low that the air disturbances blew caps from off the heads
of our men.

There was not a murmur or a word of complaint from our wearied and worn
ranks. We had almost completed our shallow trenches when the boche opened
fire at us with his field guns. It was hardly dawn. We kept on digging,
crouching in all positions to keep under cover from the bombardment.

I suppose that every one under shell fire, at one time or another, in some
manner, prays. I know that I often have done so, although not so
ostentatiously as some of the men. I have seen them, when the shells were
rocking the earth and splinters were whistling past our ears, drop to
their knees and swear to their Maker that, if they were spared, when they
returned home they would go to church regularly and be kinder to their
wives and children.

Some of our men ceased digging after reac