es him, and has to take
bearings and answer silly questions. He says that he is becoming most
horribly bored with it all. While they were at it yesterday a shell
exploded just by them. Gratton says that he jumped down below as soon as
he heard it come; he was hit by one or two bricks and covered with dirt;
when he looked round again he expected to find the Colonel done in, but
found him safe and sound!

"Yesterday evening Captain Andrews, Giffin, Dickinson and Allen all went
out on working parties. I remained behind as Orderly Officer. Captain
Briggs and Gratton remained in my dug-out with me. After a while Gratton
had to go to Brigade Headquarters next door to discuss a map with the
Brigade-Major. Soon after he had left us--about 10.10 p.m.--a terrific
shelling of the city began. Shells were bursting everywhere; the ground
frequently vibrated as if mines were going off; dumps were blown up; and
very soon parts of the city were in flames. It was a sight such as I
have never seen before; at times the whole scene was as light as day;
the flames encircled the already ruined and broken houses, bringing them
to the ground with a rumbling crash. It was a grand and awful sight--a
firework display better than any at Belle Vue, and free of charge! The
sky was perforated with brilliant yellow light, and the shells were
whizzing and crashing all round. The air was thick with sulphur. So much
so that we did not smell something much more serious than sulphur.
Amidst all the turmoil little gas-shells were exploding all over. As we
could not smell the gas we did not take any notice of it. We little
dreamt what the results were going to be. We knew not what a revelation
the morrow had in store for us!

"At about midnight I went to bed, and at about 6 this morning I heard
Giffin returning from his working party. He was muttering something
about gas and saying that he would be going sick with it in a few days,
but I was too sleepy to take much notice. I rose at 10.30 and made my
personal reconnaissance of the road, but only found two very serious
shell-holes actually on the road. These I pointed out to Sergeant
Baldwin and got his men at them. Then I began to hear things about gas.
I saw Corporal Flint (our gas N.C.O.!) being led by Sergeant Donovan and
Corporal Livesey in a very bad state; he could hardly walk, his eyes
were streaming, and he was moaning that he had lost his eyesight. So I
began to inquire as to what was the matter. I