bout four miles
with full pack and then climb a long steep hill. We had nothing to eat
all day and we were just like ravening wolves, but after we reached
camp we had to wait for the cooks to prepare some "mulligan" (stewed
beef) and tea; then we were lined up and bundled into our tents, about
ten men in each. Next morning some of us were sent down to unload the
transport and the rest were put to work setting things to rights at the
camp. I was with those that went down to the depot, and here the
battalion suffered its first casualty--the pet of the whole regiment
was lying dead in the box-car--and though to an outsider he was only a
bulldog, to us he was our beloved "Sandy," the mascot of our battalion.
He had shared all our route marches, no matter what the weather, and as
I saw him lying there I thought of the fun we used to have with him.
Scores of times I have seen him, when the bugle sounded for us to fall
in, go and take his little blanket from the low nail where it always
hung, and beg one of the boys to put it on for him. He would wag
himself almost to pieces trying to attract attention, and of course the
boy wouldn't let on to notice him; so he would go from one to the
other, till at last some one's good nature overcame the desire for
further sport, and his blanket was fastened on. Then, with a glad
bark, he would dash out and take his place at the head of the
battalion. He knew the other bugle calls too, and the call to mess was
answered by mad jumping and much showing of teeth. He responded with
the officers to the Colonel's Parade, and as the officers formed a
circle round Colonel Embury to receive their orders for the day, it was
funny to see old Sandy right in the centre gazing up into the Colonel's
face. Our O. C. loved him and always gave him his share of attention
after the officers were dismissed--it was our Colonel who insisted on
Sandy having his own bunk and blankets just like any of the men--so,
after being such a pet, you can imagine how we felt when we saw him
lying there dead, and we realized that we were to blame for his death.
All dogs entering England have to spend several weeks in quarantine,
and to save him from this some of the boys had boxed him up and placed
him in the baggage car, but whoever had done the job was not careful to
place him right side up, and when we opened the box poor old Sandy was
lying on his back dead. The whole battalion mourned his loss, and our
Colonel mos