ieving. I
prospected and then returned back to bring the battery up.

To get to the trenches we go first along the road up to a deserted
village the Germans shell when they have nothing better to do. They
were shelling it when I came out in the morning. I have often heard
shells described as sounding like express trains coming through the
air. They are almost as difficult to describe as the noise of the
bullet. It's a far quicker noise than an express train. It sounds like
a taxi going at about a hundred miles an hour and then bursting; a
bullet sounds like someone cracking a very loud whip just in your ear,
and a bit noisier than that when it is close to you. A machine
gun--there is one going now--sounds like a very noisy motor bike,
exactly like one, shells and bullets both whistle as well as they are
going on. Well, I must get on, I brought my men in in the afternoon.
After you get to the deserted village, you start up the communication
trench, twisting and turning for about 1,000 yards, you pass the
second line, and so on up to the firing line. The trenches we are in
are rather wet, but quite pleasant. Directly we arrived in I found
dug-outs for the men and myself, or rather pinched them, and put my
guns in position. I will carry on to-morrow, I hope; till then,
good-night. It's to-morrow now, and nearly the day after; in fact, it
is the day after. You will be glad to know that the trench mortar man
is the only one who gets a chance to sleep in the trenches; that is,
to have a decent sleep. This morning I got up at 11-0, when my servant
got me tea and a fire. Here is a plan of my dug-out:--

[Illustration]

It is quite a comfortable place, but rather cold now the brazier is
out. I will describe it. The whole is made of wood with a wooden
floor, just like our hut, only a smaller edition. It is about five
feet six inches high, and stands on the ground level in the firing
line, earth piled on top and all round it. The bed is made, I don't
quite know how, but it is wood with canvas stretched across it, like a
sort of hammock, and I have my valise, sleeping bag, blanket, fur
coat, &c. I sleep in everything except tunic and boots. The pictures
are post cards. It is lighted by your candle. It has been snowing the
last two days and everything is cased with snow. I mess with "D"
Company of the Scots--we have quite a nice dug-out.

The first night I arrived I climbed over the parapet with another
officer to examine our w