208
THE YPRES TIMES
beside him, saying: That was a near one," but the man was dead. What had
merely felt hot to Brown had killed the man working shoulder to shoulder with
him. Earlier in the day, Brown had been digging next to the R.E. sergeant,
when a German sniper crawled out of his trench to a favourably placed shell hole
in front of his line. This was too much for the sergeant, who seized his rifle and
took careful aim, saying as he did so, I'll get that blighter," but before he had
time to fire the sniper had got him through the forehead. He turned his face to
Brown and his lips moved, but a film passed over his eyes, and the words were
never uttered. He also had passed on.
The time arrived when Brown found himself alone in front of the wood.
The thought that he was entirely alone facing the might of Germany gave him a
momentary feeling of panic, though not many yards away were the remains of an
English Brigade. He climbed out of his trench and ran for the wood, with bullets
aimed at him cracking in his ears; but he arrived safely, and found shelter in a
little trench occupied by two men of another company of his battalion. Here he
was on the fringe of the wood, with an uninterrupted view of the enemy lines.
Ere long the German artillery concentrated on the wood, till it seemed
that nothing could live in it. The ground rocked, and even the air rocked as the
heavy shrapnel burst overhead with loud crashes and great black clouds of
fantastic shape. As Brown looked back into the wood he saw a shell burst
above a little trench occupied by four men of his own company. Each one of
them flung his arms into the air, and fell face downward on the parapetdead.
As the earth rocked and swayed, a giant oak not far distant received a direct
hit. Half the tree rose into the air and then came to earth with what must
have been a mighty crash, but which was unheard in the dreadful din. Then
Photo
[Imperial War MuseumCrown Copyright
HIGH WOOD, SEPTEMBER, 1916.
