176...............CANADA IN FLANDERS.
precisely what troops they now had opposite them
They had probably caught a few words from our
trenches which were sufficient to tell them that they
were now opposed to Canadians, and they were no
doubt anxious to discover whether they were con~
fronted by the experienced veterans who had proved
their qualities at Ypres, or whether their opponents
were the soldiers of the 2nd Division, as yet fresh
to the field of war.
We, for our part, had a similar curiosity. We,
too, were anxious to discover the identity and, there-
fore, the quality, of the men whose trenches it was
our lot to watch by night and by day.
Knowing, however, that their reconnaissance par-
ties were moving about, we were content to bide our
time to await the opportunity of seizing upon one
of their detachments when they were either careless,
ill-led, or over-bold.
That opportunity came at "Plug Street" at half-
past eight on the morning of July 27th. One of the
observers of the 3rd Battalion (Toronto Regiment)
reported a party of the enemy in the wild wheat,
never to be garnered, growing between the British
and German lines. It was then that Captain Tidy,
with Private Bruno, who had joined the Battalion
at Valcartier from the Queen's Own of Toronto, and
wo other privates of the names of Candlish and
Subervitch, left the trenches and crawled out to
take the enemy by surprise. In this they were suc-
cessful. Two of the Germans surrendered the
moment they were covered by Captain Tidy's pistol;
but the third, though putting up his hands at
first, lowered them again and fired at the officer.
At this, Bruno, who was in a crouching position
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