asualties replaced later on. Even if they come to us, I
don't think they are likely to take me or Luly, because in every case
they are taking the senior subaltern: and that is a position which I
am skipping by being promoted along with the three others: and Luly is
a long way down the list. But of course I shall volunteer, as there is
no adequate reason not to; so I thought you would like to know, only
you mustn't worry, as the chance of my going is exceedingly remote:
but I like to tell you everything that happens.

* * * * *

Four months after he wrote this, in August, 1915, Robert was on leave
at Naini Tal, with Purefoy Causton, a brother officer.

* * * * *

METROPOLE HOTEL,
NAINI TAL.

_August 3rd_, 1915.

TO HIS MOTHER.

It has been extremely wet since I last wrote. On Saturday we could do
nothing except laze indoors and play billiards and Friday was the
same, with a dull dinner-party at the end of it. It was very nice and
cool though, and I enjoyed those two days as much as any.

On Sunday we left Government House in order to be with Guy Coles
during his three days' leave.

It rained all the morning: we went to Church at a spikey little chapel
just outside Government House gate. It cleared about noon and we
walked down to the Brewery, about three miles to meet Guy. When he
arrived we had lunch there and then got ponies.

We had arranged to take Guy straight to a picnic with a nice Mrs.
Willmott of Agra, who comes here for the hot weather. So we rode up
past the lake and to the very top of Agarpatta, one of the humps on
the rim of hills. It took us over two hours, and the mist settled in
just as we arrived, about 5, so we picnicked chillily on a misty
mountain-top; but Mrs. Willmott and her sister are exceptionally nice
people, so we all enjoyed it. They have two small children and a lady
nurse for them. I never met one before, but it is quite a sensible
plan out here.

We only got back to this Hotel just before dinner, and there I found a
wire from Major Wyatt asking me if I would command a draft and take it
to the 4th Hants in the Persian Gulf. This is the exact fulfilment of
the calculation I wrote to you in April, but it came as a surprise at
the moment. I was more excited than either pleased or depressed. I
don't hanker after fighting, and I would, of course, have preferred to
go with the regiment and not as a draft. But now that I