se themselves
as earth and then dig long narrow holes and live in them. The Cave-men
are strange creatures. We went up one of then funny long narrow
burrows, and occasionally they let off a funny toy which cracked
overhead. At length we came to the real caves where these men live. I
noticed that they were very vain men and were continually looking into
a sort of box thing, with a glass at the end, and admiring themselves
therein, and then so intoxicated were they with the sight that they
would put a stick to their shoulder and break forth into smoke and
flame. The name of this people is the Tribe of Tommizi.

And I noticed their gods visited them. Speckless mortals, clothed in
fine linen, wearing turbans or caps, as they call them, trimmed with
red and gold, and so appalling was their aspect that the Cave-men
were, as it were, turned to stone, and stood with their hand to their
hats as if to guard against a blow, or to ward off the evil eye. And
behold, a terrible dragon screamed across the sky, shouting out with
hate and roaring as the thunder, and fell and burst itself asunder,
and I fled, and the Cave-men laughed, for their gods in red were there
and they feared not. I expect the above gives you a good picture of
trench life. It is as given me by a friend of mine who visited these
men--my own experiences were different.

My own experiences I will call "An Idyll of Spring" in blank verse,
without the blanks and without the verse, and will be continued in our
next.

We wandered up the communication trench and nosed all along the firing
line, only 50 yards from the German trench--I thought it was topping.
I had a good look, with a periscope, while a sniper vainly tried to
hit it, and its owner became nervous of losing it. I enjoyed my visit
very much. Wednesday: The Brigade Major came to see me, and told me
that I am to command the Brigade Trench Mortar Battery, so I am now
one of the working members of the Brigade Staff, though I don't wear a
red hat. I was very pleased. He took me back to Brigade Headquarters
for tea and dinner and I had a very good time. But, unfortunately, I
had to come home in the dark. All the roads round here have ditches on
either side. It was pitch dark, I did not know the road, and it was
too dark to see the turnings oft. I missed my way and went miles. I
hated it. I don't mind a German, but I don't like the dark. Thursday:
We amused ourselves, and at 3-0 I went to see the Brigade Major o