"We are going to attack at dawn," he began, as soon as his four platoon commanders were settled round him. "We are to gain the line ----," he indicated the points on the map which marked the position we were to capture. "The Dorchesters have orders to take ----ville"--he pointed to a village on our left--"and the --th Brigade are to take ----"--he pointed to another village marked on the right. "The attack begins as soon as it is light, which will be 5 A.M. I want you to see now that the platoons return their tools" (we had been digging earlier in the night), "that each man has his rations, and that twenty-five bandoliers of spare ammunition are carried per platoon. The mist will cover the first part of our advance, and there must be no firing until the order is given by me." We went off to carry out the instructions given, and then lay down to wait for the dawn. Perhaps Evans and the other platoon commanders slept. I don't know. I know only that for my part I did not. The thought that we were to attack at dawn dispelled any lingering sleepiness. I looked at my watch--3 A.M.--in an hour it would begin to grow light. How would the day end? What would be the fate of the attack? I wondered if Goyle was awake, and thought I would go down to him. I peeped down into the corner of the ditch where I knew he was lying. A dark form lay stretched at full length, and I heard a gentle snore. I lay down again. After a while, looking out in the direction of the enemy, I saw a faint flush low in the sky. I watched. The flush swelled to a vast crimson glow. I woke Goyle. For a moment we looked at the day breaking blood-red over the fields across which we were to fight our way. Than we went, one either way along the ditch, rousing the men. The men yawned, stretched themselves, and stood to arms. Their bayonets, which they always kept fixed during the night, glittered faintly in the early light. The crimson flush was broken now, and streaks of yellow and pure white shot the sky. Goyle caught my arm. Low on the horizon the crest of a yellow ball just showed above the trees. "The sun," he said. _CRASH! bang! CRASH! bang! bang! bang!_ We listened as our guns behind opened the ceremony with a salvo. They fired fast for five or ten minutes. "The Dorchesters are advancing on our left, sir"--the message was passed down to Goyle. He signed for the company to advance. The men crawled up out of the ditch and pushed over the country in a thin line. Evans was on my left, with Edwards and No. 8 platoon commander on the right.