Book Two

LIVE ROUNDS

XIV. THE BACK OF THE FRONT XV. IN THE TRENCHES--AN OFF-DAY XVI. "DIRTY WORK AT THE CROSS-ROADS TO-NIGHT" XVII. THE NEW WARFARE XVIII. THE FRONT OF THE FRONT XIX. THE TRIVIAL ROUND XX. THE GATHERING OF THE EAGLES XXI. THE BATTLE OF THE SLAG-HEAPS

"K(1)"

_We do not deem ourselves A 1, We have no past: we cut no dash: Nor hope, when launched against the Hun, To raise a more than moderate splash.

But yesterday, we said farewell To plough; to pit; to dock; to mill. For glory? Drop it! Why? Oh, well-- To have a slap at Kaiser Bill.

And now to-day has come along. With rifle, haversack, and pack, We're off, a hundred thousand strong. And--some of us will not come back.

But all we ask, if that befall, Is this. Within your hearts be writ This single-line memorial_:-- He did his duty--and his bit!

NOTE

The reader is hereby cautioned against regarding this narrative as an official history of the Great War.

The following pages are merely a record of some of the personal adventures of a typical regiment of Kitchener's Army.

The chapters were written from day to day, and published from month to month. Consequently, prophecy is occasionally falsified, and opinions moderated, in subsequent pages.

The characters are entirely fictitious, but the incidents described all actually occurred.