"Dr. Johnson was right," said the colonel to me, "Whoever wants to be a hero ought to drink brandy."
Then, as a fresh explosion made the debris of the ruined town in front of us tremble, he said:
"Messiou, how many inhabitants were there in Ypres before the War?"
January 20th.
We are going to leave Hondezeele. The red-hats are getting agitated and already one sees the cyclists passing, the natural advance-guard of our migrations.
We were beginning to love this country: the village and the brigade, so distrustful of one another a month ago, had become really quite affectionate. But the gods are jealous.
... Demain, départ de la brigade:
La cornemuse et le tambour
Douneront la dernière aubade
A ces fugitives amours.
Les montagnards aux beaux genoux,
Qui mimaient la danse du sable
Avec des chants graves et doux
Vont danser la ronde du Diable.
La Victoire, un jour, les cherchant,
Les trouvera trois pieds sous terre,
Mais par ces fermes et ces champs
Flottera leur ombre légère.
Et dans nos villages des Flandres...
Interrupted by the arrival of our successors, the Canadians, regarded by Madame Lemaire and her little boy with great suspicion. That won't last long.
CHAPTER XIV
A great attack was in preparation; it was a terrible secret jealously guarded by headquarters; but Aurelle was informed of it several days beforehand by the German communiqué published in the Times, and by Madame Lemaire's little boy, who advised him not to repeat it.