rnative.

Fritz played heavily on the back areas; we returned shell for shell, but
no infantry action took place on either side during the eight days of
Norman occupation. The enemy was concentrating his man-power for a Push
with the opening of finer days, and we did not have an excess of men to
waste after the heavy toll of the Cambrai stunt.

The Ten Hundred were relieved for a brief rest.

XIII

PASSCHENDAELE SECTOR

POPERINGHE--STEENVOORDE--BRANDHOEK

The Ten Hundred had revelled in the luxury of a hot bath. "Casey," who
had found and hurriedly slipped into his trouser pocket a full packet of
"fags" inadvertently left behind by some individual with an unbalanced
mind, portrayed his bare arm for general admiration of the four small
scars thereon.

"Waccinated," he said, "by good ole Kinnersley." (Dr.--Captain
Kinnersley, undoubtedly the one man who held the softest corner in the
hearts of all the old Normans, and whose friendly hand-shakes as from
man to man were never forgotten by the "boys" of the original 1st
Battalion).

"Wots the good?" Le Page demanded.

"Good--wot a question. Why, it stops fever, an' smallpox, an' almost
everythin'."

"Any good fer toothache?" The crowd chuckled noisily.

"Would it stop a clock?"

"Any good for a bloomin' non-stop thirst?"

"P'raps it might stop the war?"

"Ever tried it on yer ole woman's tongue, Casey?--but it wouldn't stop
that!"

They were interrupted by a command from the Company Officer to "get a
move on." Company Officer controls a Company. Main functions to dole out
pay (when he's not stopping it), C.B., and rum.

C.B. (Confined to Barracks) and similar punishments are usually granted
you by the genial administrator as an adequate reward for such crimes as
too little razor, too much beer, too weak a polish, or too strong a
language, late on fatigue or early OFF it....

Some men are always in trouble, but provided with a programme of glib
excuses and prepared at a moment's notice to call witnesses (false),
always escape punishment. Some do not care if punished or not and who
boast that they had full value for their "two days C.B." Heaume had a
cute dodge of replying to an officer's angry expostulation that he
(Heaume) had already been "up" twenty times with: "No, sir,--only
sixteen so far."

Seven or eight days at Brake Camp were followed by a week at English
Camp, from whence working parties daily moved up the Line by rail to the
vicin