With the light came a reinforcement of new Canadians—­grand fellows in great spirit.  And the last Australian was during that morning withdrawn.  It was the most welcome sight in all the world to see those troops come in.  Not that the tired men would ever admit that it was necessary.  As one report from an Australian boy said, “The reinforcement has arrived.  Captain X——­ may tell you that the Australians are done.  Rot!”

Whether they were done or whether they were not, they spoke of those Canadian bombers in a way it would have done Canadian hearts good to hear.  Australians and Canadians fought for thirty-six hours in those trenches inextricably mixed, working under each others’ officers.  Their wounded helped each other from the front.  Their dead lie and will lie through all the centuries hastily buried beside the tumbled trenches and shell-holes where, fighting as mates, they died.

* * * * *

And the men who had hung on to that flank almost within shouting distance of Mouquet for two wild days and nights—­they came out of the fight asking, “Can you tell me if we have got Mouquet Farm?”

We had not.  The fierce fighting in the broken centre had enabled us to hold all the ground gained upon the crest.  But through this same gap the Germans had come back against the farm.  They swarmed in upon its garrison, driving in gradually the men who were holding that flank.  Under heavy shell-fire the line dwindled and dwindled until the Western Australians, who had won the farm and held it for five hours, numbered barely sufficient to make good their retirement.  The officer left in charge there, himself wounded, ordered the remnant to withdraw.  And the Germans entered the farm again.

But on the crest the line held.  The Prussian Guard Reserve counter-attacked it three times, and on the last occasion the Queenslanders had such deadly shooting against Germans in the open as cheered them in spite of all their fatigue.  I saw those Queenslanders marching out two days later with a step which would do credit to a Guards regiment going in.

So ended a fight as hard as Australians have ever fought.

Mouquet Farm was taken a fortnight later in a big combined advance of British and Canadians.  The Farm itself held out many hours after the line had passed it, and was finally seized by a pioneer battalion, working behind our lines.

CHAPTER XXV

ON LEAVE TO A NEW ENGLAND

Back in France.

It was after seven weeks of very heavy fighting.  Even those whose duty took them rarely up amongst the shells were almost worn out with the prolonged strain.  Those who had been fighting their turns up in the powdered trenches came out from time to time tired well nigh to death in body, mind and soul.  The battle of the Somme still grumbled night and day behind them.  But for those who emerged a certain amount of leave was opened.