ur billets this morning and complimented our
arrangements, and seemed highly pleased with them. The men are
extremely smart at present; the easy time and change of circumstances
seems to have returned to them all the original keenness we had rather
lost during our rather boring time during the last few months.

We had our first shot fired in anger yesterday. A Taube flew over a
mile or two up and a long distance away, and a sentry, to show his
appreciation of its attentions, loosed off his rifle, much to his own
surprise and his neighbours.

To-night I invented a new dish--an omelette made of scrambled eggs and
minced bully beef. It was very good. To-day we route marched, and
inspected gas helmets and ammunition this afternoon. To-night we are
making a savoury--it is still in the making. Its ingredients
are:--Cheese, butter, eggs, mustard, pepper, and a little brandy to
act as vinegar. It is a recipe of our own and I hope it turns out
well.

To-night is a time of great excitement. A post has arrived--a letter
from you written last Thursday to Sutton Veney and from Father and one
from Win. Your parcel has not arrived yet. I did not get a tin box, as
we are not in Egypt. I have no new uniform.

I am keeping the knife, fork and spoon. I am enclosing a 10s. note to
pay for it and the knife (slight pause). The savoury was good.
(P.S.--Later, note not enclosed.) Please tell Father he is very
generous, but I have plenty money, as Miss Jennie would say. I think I
must be awfully extravagant. I spend a lot of money, but I always seem
to have plenty. I generally buy good things and few.

Can you send me a pound tin of solidified methylated spirits for
"Tommy's Cooker." (No substitutes.) Cost 1s. Yesterday I took a
fatigue party of 30 men over to a large town near here--(I wish I
could give you its name)--to unload stores for the division. We
marched there, and the men loaded and unloaded, while their officer
betook himself up to the town and purchased tinned fruit, potted meat,
&c., and executed all sorts of odd commissions for various people.

I went and lunched at a French Cafe. I got a great shock, when I
entered, the outside, as it seemed a common eating house, but then I
went through the kitchen into another room, where there were two large
tables round which were seated English and French officers mixed, and
they brought us our food without one having to commit oneself too much
in French. We did not know what we were