e about it, that the fellows dared him to take it over
to the Germans and wish them "A Merry Christmas." He at once threw off his
equipment and made toward them, where he received his Christmas present in
the form of a bottle of "schnapps." "Spud" Smith was the madcap of his
regiment.]

A few minutes after midnight, we were brought back to war again by the
Germans shelling us all along the line.

Everything was tolerably quiet, with the exception of an occasional
shelling from either side, until New Year's Eve, when an infernal row got
up and on New Year's Day we had about one hundred and thirty casualties.
The shelling grew worse, and we discovered that the Saxons had been
relieved by the Prussians. Twice they charged us in mass formation, and we
were forced to retire to our second-line trenches. It was their idea and
intention to break through our lines to get to Calais in time for the
Kaiser's birthday. This was the beginning of their big drive. Although we
got a severe cutting up, we managed to hold all the ground we had, despite
their mass formation, which is a stern and dreadful thing to face.

One morning, about the middle of January, the coal boxes, Jack Johnsons
and Black Marias were just simply shaking the earth. The German airplanes
had been very active these last few days, and it seemed they were giving
their heavy artillery the proper range on our lines. The Jack Johnsons
were landing to the right of our regiment and were gradually working their
way up toward us. We could see them tearing up parts of the
trenches--smashing up men, whose limbs were sent flying up through the
air. The sight was really too frightful to recall.

Orders were given that the Black Watch should stand to its post and that
no man was to retire. But as the heavy shells drew nearer, smashing
everything up, they proved too much for the recruits who had joined us
only within the last few days, and they made for the reserve trenches. By
this time the Germans were beginning to make their advance in waves. Word
was passed along that our regiment should retire to its reserve trenches,
but it came too late for a few of us,--as we were already pumping it into
the Germans. Those who had retired were firing over our heads at the
advancing Huns, thus making it dangerous for us to withdraw.

Just as I had made up my mind that we must get back somehow, Sergeant
Johnstone crept to my side and said; "Cassells, let's stick it out. This
might last