Perhaps our greatest reward came when on April twenty-sixth the English troops reached us.  We had been completely cut off by the enemy barrage from all communication with other sectors of the line.  Still, through the wounded gone back, word of our stand had drifted out.  The English boys fought and force-marched and fought again their terrible way through the barrage to our aid.  And when they arrived, weary and worn and torn, cutting their bloody way to us, they cheered themselves hoarse; cheered as they marched along, cheered and gripped our hands as they got within touch with us.  Yell after yell went upward, and stirring words woke the echoes.  The boys of the Old Country paid their greatest tribute to us of the New as they cried: 

“Canadians—­Canadians—­that’s all!”

CHAPTER XIII

TEARS AND NO CHEERS

On May third we commenced our withdrawal to Bailleul, leaving our sector of the line in safe hands.  We were billeted in this town for a rest.

We were a haggard bunch.  Our faces were drawn in lines like old men, many were gray, some were white; our eyes were wild and glassy and we moved jerkily or started at the slightest of sharp sounds.

Reinforcements began to arrive.  We needed them.  There were C and D Companies without an officer between them.  Major Kirkpatrick was wounded and a prisoner; Captain Straight wounded and taken; Captain Johnson wounded and imprisoned; Lieutenant Jarvis, son of Amelius Jarvis, the famous sporting figure of Toronto, lay dead, and our gallant old Major Pete Anderson, our sniping officer, was also captured, though he has now escaped from enemy hands.

In billets we had thought we were hard hit.  We had not realized it to the full till the morning we were lined up, one brigade at a time, for review.  We had had an issue of fresh clothing, we had had some long hours of sleep, we had had all that soap and water could do for us, but we were a sorry and sorrowful lot of men.  We had the light of triumph in our eyes, but even that was dimmed at thought of the boys who were gone to the great review above.

Our beloved commander-in-chief came along the lines to review us.  He looked at us with the brave eyes of a father sorrowing over a dead son.  He walked with head high and step firm, but his voice shook with deep emotion, and he did not hide the tears which rose to his eyes as he spoke his famous words of commendation.

They are immortal words, words which express the regret of a true man for comrades whose sacrifice was supreme, words which express pride in deeds done and breathe of a determination to greater deeds, if possible, in a triumphant future.

Words Spoken to the First Canadian Division
(Brigade by Brigade and to Engineers and Artillery)
After the Twelve Days and Nights of Fighting
April 22d to May 4th, 1915
By
Lieutenant-General E.A.H.  Alderson
Commanding First Canadian Division