me, prevented for long any gloom or
oppressiveness in the atmosphere that might have been engendered by the
time-old superstition. It was only in the exceptional cases when a
soldier got into his head the premonition that his number was up that
his spirits took a drop. I wish it were possible to convey in exact
language the wonderful spirit of the men under circumstances and
conditions endured by no soldiers in any other war since primeval man
enforced his claims with his club.

Every man in the squad got letters and parcels that evening, and, all
things considered, it was a happy bunch that left us to seek their bunks
in their own dugouts. Billy and I remained up awhile after the others
had gone, chatting about the home folks and, particularly, about his
sweetheart, for at every opportunity he would turn the talk in her
direction; he was positive there was no other girl quite so sweet as
Aileen, for that was her name, and there was nothing for me to do but
affirm everything he said.

"Reg, I want you to promise me one thing," said Billy, after we had been
talking for an hour or more.

"What is it, Billy? You know I'll do it, old scout, if I can."

"Yes, I know you will. Well, it is this: I've told you how I came to
correspond with Aileen, and, altho' I've never seen her yet, I really
think she is one real girl. But here's the rub," he continued; "I don't
really love the girl; I'm not such an idiot as to fall in love with a
girl I have never seen; and you know lots of these photos are fifty per
cent camouflage, ain't they?"

"You're dead right, old chap," I replied.

"Well, now, this one may be in the other fifty, and I'm thinking she is;
and if you should get home before I do, will you look her up and let me
know just exactly what you think of her?"

"Why, of course I will."

"That's what I wanted, Reg. You see, God only knows when I may get home,
if I ever do, but I don't want to be nursing ideas about Aileen, and
perhaps causing thoughts to arise in her mind, that may never be
realized. You get me, Reg, don't you?"

"Surest thing, Billy, and you're damned right and sensible to look at it
that way."

So that when we finally tumbled in, it was long after the witching hour
of night.

The dugout we occupied we had built ourselves, and we took great pains
to make it as roomy and comfortable as possible; hence the tendency of
the fellows to make it their rendezvous. Our bunks consisted of sandbags
spread out