t the line that had been held by
the Allies at 5 o'clock, and a gap still existed on its left.

It became necessary for Brigadier General Turner, commanding the Third
Brigade, to throw back his left flank southward to protect his rear.

In the course of the confusion which followed upon the readjustments of
position, the enemy, who had advanced rapidly after his initial
successes, took four British 4.7 guns in a small wood to the west of the
village of St. Julien, two miles in the rear of the original French
trenches.

[Sidenote: Heroism of the Canadian Division.]

The story of the second battle of Ypres is the story of how the Canadian
Division, enormously outnumbered--for they had in front of them at least
four divisions, supported by immensely heavy artillery--with a gap still
existing, though reduced, in their lines, and with dispositions made
hurriedly under the stimulus of critical danger, fought through the day
and through the night, and then through another day and night; fought
under their officers until, as happened to so many, those perished
gloriously, and then fought from the impulsion of sheer valor because
they came from fighting stock.

The enemy, of course, was aware--whether fully or not may perhaps be
doubted--of the advantage his breach in the line had given him, and
immediately began to push a formidable series of attacks upon the whole
of the newly-formed Canadian salient. If it is possible to distinguish
when the attack was everywhere so fierce, it developed with particular
intensity at this moment upon the apex of the newly formed line, running
in the direction of St. Julien.

[Sidenote: Assault on the wood.]

It has already been stated that four British guns were taken in a wood
comparatively early in the evening of the 22d. In the course of that
night, and under the heaviest machine-gun fire, this wood was assaulted
by the Canadian Scottish, Sixteenth Battalion of the Third Brigade, and
the Tenth Battalion of the Second Brigade, which was intercepted for
this purpose on its way to a reserve trench. The battalions were
respectively commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Leckie and Lieutenant
Colonel Boyle, and after a most fierce struggle in the light of a misty
moon they took the position at the point of the bayonet. At midnight the
Second Battalion, under Colonel Watson, and the Toronto Regiment,
Queen's Own, Third Battalion, under Lieutenant Colonel Rennie, both of
the First Brigade, brought