e got through by keeping his hand over the old scar.
Next day he was attested, put into uniform, and then he was given leave
to go home and fix up his business affairs. This is what he did--he
changed on the train from khaki into civies, went home, put on his
Imperial uniform, and went up to draw his regimental pay. He drew all
that was coming to him, and tried to get an advance but failed. Then
he went home, changed into his Canadian uniform, and leaving his other
in a bundle, he came away without even letting his father know where he
was going. He came down to Shorncliffe and we got him into our platoon
and into our tent, and then the fun started. The boys thought him a
greenhorn, and they were all showing him how to do things. He would
let them help to put his puttees on, show him the hundred and one
things that a soldier needs to know; we would almost burst trying to
keep from laughing. When we were out drilling, he was just as clumsy
as though he had never held a rifle--after him meeting the Germans in
the open and firing till his rifle jammed. The Sergeant would take him
out and give him private lessons, showing him how to slope arms and
present arms, and all the time Rust was looking innocent and acting as
awkward as the greenest of the green. Those of us who knew nearly
killed ourselves laughing. Then they gave him another leave, and we
didn't see any more of him till we were ready to leave for France.

Leave to London was very hard to get, and of course we were all crazy
to go there; but we were all allowed late leave on Sundays, and of
course we always had our Saturday afternoons, so if we could dodge the
military police we took the train at noon on Saturday and spent Sunday
in London. There was an early morning train which got us in before
reveille on Monday. We worked this successfully several times, but one
Sunday almost our whole platoon was in London, and as luck would have
it we all missed the early tram. When our platoon lined up there were
only ten present, and of course this gave the whole thing away. We
arrived on the noon train and we sure did get a calling down--of course
we were forbidden to do it again. However, before going to France each
of us had a week in London, and that wonderful old city was surely an
eye-opener to us Western boys. In fact, England itself is like a big
garden; and so beautiful that it's little wonder that its people would
fight to the last man to save it. W