CHAPTERXIX
THEPILOT’SLASTPORT
ThelittleCanadianarmywasdonewithTheSalient。TheBritishtraditionestablishedinthethirdmonthofthewar，inthatfirstterrifictwenty—twodays’fightbyYpres，thatthatdeadlyconvexshouldbenothoroughfaretoCalaisfortheHun，waspassedonwithTheSalientintoCanadianhandsintheearlymonthsof1915。HowthelittleCanadianarmypreservedthetraditionandbarred\"theroad—hogofEurope\"fromthechannelcoastforseventeenmonths，lethistorytell，andatwhatcostletthedeaddeclarewholieinunmarkedgraveswhich，followingthecurvinglineoftrenchesfromLangemarckthroughHoogeandSanctuaryWoodoverObservationRidgetoSt。Eloi，andthedeadunderthoselittlecrossesthatcrowdthecemeteriesofTheSalientandoftheclearingstationsintherear，andthelivingaswell，whothroughlifewillcarrytheburdenofenfeebledandmutilatedbodies。
ForseventeenmonthstheCanadiansinshallowdugoutsandbehindflimsytrenchesenduredthemaddeningpoundingoftheHuns’guns，bigandlittle，withoutthesatisfactionofreprisal，exceptinraidorcounter—attack，sufferingthelossoftwo—thirdsoftheirentireforce，butstillholding。Nowatlengthcamethewelcomerelease。TheywereorderedtotheSomme。Welcomenotsimplybecauseofescapefromanexperiencethemosttryingtowhichanarmycouldbesubjected，butwelcomechieflybecausetherewasachanceoffightingback。
Theyhadnoillusionsaboutthatgreatbattleareaofthesouth，echoesofwhosetitanicstrugglehadreachedthem，buttheylongedforachancetogetbackattheirfoe。Besides，theSommechallengedtheirfightingspirit。ThatgloriousassaultofthefirstofJulyofthealliedarmieswhichflungthemuponthescientificallyprepared，embattledandentrenched\"GermanFrontier，\"withitsfortifiedvillages，itsgunstuffedwoods，itsmassedparksofartillery，anddefendedbyhighlydisciplinedandsuperblyorganisedsoldiery，stirredthemlikeabuglecall。Fortwoyearsthemasterwar—makersoftheworldhademployedscientificknowledge，ingenuityandunlimitedresourcesupontheconstructionofasystemofdefencebymeansofwhichtheyhopedtodefytheworld，anduponwhichwhencompletedtheydisplayedthevauntingchallenge，\"Wearereadyforyou；comeon！\"