resh
supplies of bombs must come; and I saw one of the first "krumps" of this
concentration take another bite out of the walls of the chateau.

By watching the switching of the curtains of fire I had learned that
this time Contalmaison was definitely held; and though they say that I
don't know anything about news, I beat the _communique_ on the fact as
the result of my observation, which ought at least to classify me as a
"cub" reporter.

XIII

A GREAT NIGHT ATTACK

Following hard blows with blows--Trones Woods--Attack and
counter-attack--A heavy price to pay--"The spirit that quickeneth"
knew no faltering--Second-line German fortifications--A daringly
planned attack--"Up and at them!"--An attack not according to the
scientific factory system--The splendid and terrible hazard--Gun
flashes in the dark numerous as fireflies--Majestic, diabolical,
beautiful--A planet bombarding with aerolites--Signal flares in the
distance--How far had the British gone?--Sunrise on the attack--Good
news that day.

Of all the wonderful nights at the front that of July 13th-14th was
distinctive for its incomparable suspense. A great experiment was to be
tried; at least, so it seemed to the observer, though the staff did not
take that attitude. It never does once it has decided upon any daring
enterprise. When you send fifty thousand men into a charge that may fail
with a loss of half of their number or may brilliantly succeed with a
loss of only five per cent., none from the corps commanders and division
commanders, who await results after the plans are made, down to the
privates must have any thought except that the plan is right and that it
will go through.

There is no older military maxim than to follow up any hard blow with
other blows, in order that the enemy may have no time to recuperate;
but in moving against a frontal line under modern conditions the
congestion of transport and ammunition which must wait on new roads and
the filling in of captured trenches makes a difficult problem in
organization. Never had there been and never were there necessary such
numbers of men and such quantities of material as on the Somme front.

The twelve days succeeding July 1st had seen the taking of minor
position after position by local concentrations of troops and artillery
fire, while the army as a whole had been preparing for another big
attack at the propitious moment when these preliminary gains shou