trip we were in the "Danger Zone," and at night all lights were put out
and as many men as possible slept on deck; machine guns were posted and
men on duty at them all the time. The sentries had orders to shoot any
one that showed a light. We were obliged to wear our life-belts night
and day, and if I looked as funny to the others as they did to me, I
don't see how they ever got their faces straight. Most of our waking
hours were spent in looking for "subs," and every one that saw a bottle
or stock on the water was sure he had sighted a periscope. One night
as I was sleeping on deck I was awakened by having a great light
flashed in my face--I jumped up in a hurry and to my amazement I found
two great searchlights sweeping our ship from stern to stern--and
immediately, out of the darkness, two destroyers, slim and grey, came
racing up, one on either side of us. They gave us our first glimpse of
Britain's sea power, and we felt a wonderful sense of security. In the
morning we had a good look at the destroyers, for they were quite close
and they kept just abreast of us--every now and then they would put on
speed and rush ahead leaving us as if we were standing still--then they
would turn almost in their own length and come rushing back, sometimes
circling the ship two or three times. They reminded me of a couple of
puppies gambolling and trying to coax the old dog into the game.

We proceeded this way till we hit the Channel, and soon we caught our
first glimpse of the shores of England (or "Blighty," as the soldiers
call it). The green hills sure did look good to us after gazing at
water for ten days. We also passed a big wooden ship built in the time
of Nelson that is being used as a training-ship for cadets--as we
steamed slowly by, hundreds of the cadets were clustered on the masts
and rigging, and they gave us a great burst of cheers. It was our
first welcome to the old land. That night we slipped slowly into port,
and again we caught a glimpse of Britain at war; big searchlights
glaring out to sea, crossing and recrossing, searching--searching all
the time. Big ships were going to and fro with coloured lights to show
their identity. We stayed on the ship all night, but most of us were
too excited to get any sleep. Next morning we were taken off and put
aboard a dinky little train. The locomotives and coaches looked so
small in comparison with the big American trans-continental trains that
the Englishmen