what had happened to them. I
thought that perhaps influenza had laid them low. At any rate we were
not anxious to end the happy time we were having. The climax of our
glory was reached on the 1st of July when we celebrated the birthday
of the Dominion by Corps sports on the field at Tincques. It was a
most wonderful occasion.

Dominion Day fell on a Monday, and on the previous afternoon, knowing
that large bodies of men, including the contestants, were congregated
at Tincques, I determined to go over and pay them a visit. I found the
village full of troops and all very keen about the next day's show. In
a little lane, were some 1st Division men, and they were enjoying the
excitement of a game which was very popular at the front, called
"Crown and Anchor." It is played with special dice on a board or
square of green canvas. On the canvas were painted an anchor and crown
and I think a heart and spade. The game was banned by the army on
account of its unfairness. The banker had, I think, sixty-four chances
to one in his favour. The consequence of this was that very soon he
became possessed of all the money which green youths, unsuspecting
their disadvantage, chose to lay on the board. This game, in the hands
of a sharper, was often the means of robbing a battalion of very large
sums of money; sometimes forty thousand francs were made by the banker.
The police had orders to arrest anyone playing it and I used to (p. 265)
do my best to stamp it out. Though I do not play for money myself,
I never could see any great harm in those poor boys out there getting
a little relaxation from their terrible nervous strain by a game of
bridge or poker for a few francs. But a game which was founded wholly
on dishonesty was something which I felt was unworthy of our men.
Whenever I saw them crowding round a little spot on the grass I knew
there was a game of crown and anchor going on, and I would shout,
"Look out, boys, I am going to put the horse on the old mud hook"--a
phrase I had heard the men use--and then canter Dandy into their midst
scattering them in all directions. Over and over again I have gone
into a ring of men and given the banker five minutes to decide whether
he would hand over his board and dice to me or have his name reported
to the police. He never failed to do the former, although sometimes he
looked rather surly at losing a very fruitful source of revenue. I
have brought home with me enough crown and anchor dice t