d to a mild bombardment. The results even of a few
shells were staggering. A large number of the houses and the
village church were shattered into atoms; nothing left but heaps
of bricks, with here and there a wall standing amid the debris.
To me it was a remarkable spectacle, though my companions assured
me that this village was in a positively palatial condition
compared to other places farther up. Just as we reached the
troops we were destined for, an appalling crash rent the air, and
went echoing away like a peal of thunder. It was the British
heavy artillery at work, though we couldn't see any batteries.
Meanwhile the Boches were aiming at our aeroplanes which were
flying above us continually. Amid all this our fellows were quite
unmoved, and an exciting game of Soccer was in progress, every
successful effort being cheered to the echo by the soldier
spectators. And that, mind, though only last night the Boches put
twenty-eight of our men out of action not far from this very
spot, landing three shells on top of them at midnight, killing
one and wounding twenty-seven others, not to mention several
horses.

Our route now lay along a road roughly parallel to the
firing-lines, and only a few miles behind them. We passed several
camps, where all sorts of regiments were quartered. Then we came
to quite a big town, which was packed with lorries and field
ambulances, and with columns of British soldiers, always
cheerful, though in many cases much fatigued. Finally we came
back to our quarters. To me the whole experience was most
interesting and exciting, and I am eagerly looking forward to a
repetition of it. Next time I shall go right up to the real
centre of things. It is great to be so near the scrapping, and I
only hope a chance of real fighting does come my way. Anyhow, I
am ready to do my duty, whatever it may be.

Well, the Germans have got that Petrograd-Warsaw railway.
Apparently some people anticipate an advance on Petrograd itself.
The war is assuming a phase very like that of the Napoleonic
struggles. I hope 1812 repeats itself, but candidly I don't think
that the Boches will put their heads into the lion's mouth by
risking an advance into Russia with winter coming on.

TO HIS BROTHER