a war on with the Germans, and that we had better not start
another till it was finished. On the following day the board with the
epitaph was placed in position in the presence of a Brigadier-General
and our kind-hearted and sympathetic C.R.E. I was so filled with
indignation at the loss of my companion, who, wherever I tied up
Dandy, would always mount guard over him and allow no one to approach
him, that I determined to seek a billet away from Headquarters, and
near the front. However, this intention was frustrated a day or two
later by an order which came through for our Division to go into rest
at a place called Le Cauroy, not far from the town of Frevent, and
about 15 kilometres to the southwest of Chateau d'Acq.

CHAPTER XXVIII. (p. 254)

SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

_May and June, 1918._

It was late in the evening when I reached the Chateau at Le Cauroy,
and I found that I was to be billeted in the house of the Cure, on one
side of the fine avenue of lime trees. Ross was waiting for me and
took the horse, and I went inside to my room. A curious sensation came
over me of having seen the place before. It seemed as if I had been
there in one of my dreams, but the mystery was cleared up on the
following day by my finding out from the Vicaire that this was the
place where I had spent such a gloomy Sunday on the 22nd of October,
1916, during our return from the Somme. The count who owned the
Chateau was naval attache to the French Embassy in London, but his
wife and children, with the servants, occupied apartments on the right
wing of the building. The presence of a lady gave a special charm to
the place, and tennis on a good court under the trees in the park was
most enjoyable. On several occasions some of our Canadian Sisters from
the C.C.S. at Frevent honoured us with their presence at dinner, which
was followed by a dance. Under the trees in the avenue, a most
picturesque open theatre was erected by the engineers, and here our
concert party gave us nightly performances of their new play, which
was called "The Marriage Market." Hundreds of men from the battalions
around would sit on the soft grass under the overhanging trees through
which we could see the stars, and on the brightly lighted stage, with
the orchestra in front, we had an exhibition of real talent. The
weather was delightful and the men enjoyed a holiday in the country.
At a little distance behin