They fought his masses, falling back, They poured their blood like wine, And never once the vast attack Smashed through that living line. It held, it held, while all the world Looked on with strangled breath; It held; again, again it hurl'd Man's memory to death. Bleeding and sleepless, dazed and spent, And bending like a bow, Backward the lads of Britain went, Their faces to the blow. And day went by, and night came in, And when the moon was gone Murder burst out with fiercer din, And still the fight went on. Day after day, night after night, Outnumbered nine to one, In agony that none may write Those young men held the Hun. And this is their abiding praise No future shall undo: Not once in all those staggering days The avalanche broke thro'. Retreat, retreat, yea, still retreat, But fighting one to nine, Just knowing there was no defeat If they but held the line. Ah, never yet did men more true Or souls more finely wrought From Cressy down to Waterloo Fight as these young men fought; On whose great hearts the fate of all Mankind was poised that hour Which saw the Prussian War God fall And Christ restored to pow'r. The world shall tell how they stood fast, And how the fight was won, As long as faith and freedom last And earth goes round the sun. HAROLD BEGBIE _By permission of the Author_ AN HISTORIC ORDER (_Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, April 12, 1918_) Three weeks ago to-day the enemy began his terrific attacks against us on a fifty-mile front. His objects were to separate us from the French, to take the Channel Ports, and to destroy the British Army. In spite of throwing already one hundred and six divisions into the battle, and enduring the most reckless sacrifice of human life, he has yet made little progress toward his goals. We owe this to the determined fighting and self-sacrifice of our troops. Words fail me to express the admiration which I feel for the splendid resistance offered by all ranks of our army under the most trying circumstances. Many among us now are tired. To those I would say that victory will belong to the side which holds out the longest. The French Army is moving rapidly and in great force to our support. There is no other course open to us but to fight it out. Every position must be held to the last man. There must be no retirement. With our backs to the wall, and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us must fight to the end. The safety of our homes and the freedom of mankind depend alike upon the conduct of each one of us at this critical moment. THE GUNS IN SUSSEX