Mr. Gibbons broke up the battle of China by asking the major whether I might not be allowed to accompany him and Mr. O’Flaherty and one of the captains on their perilous venture tomorrow night. They are going to spend the night in a Canadian first-line trench.

“I’m sorry,” said the major, “but the arrangement has been made for only three.”

I choked back tears of disappointment.

The major has wished on me for tomorrow a trip through the reconquered territory. My companions are to be the captain with the monocle, the Harvard professor, the philanthropist, and the philanthropist’s secretary. We are to start off at eight o’clock. Perhaps I can manage to oversleep.

Thursday, September 6. With the British.