en we can buy amicably and pay cash
on the spot.

A number of the farmers with whom I had to deal recently are
"permissionaires"--they get pretty regular leave in the French
Army. The peasant stock of the North of France has a knack of
producing good fighting men--they are an unromantic race, but
amazingly industrious, shrewd, and very tough.

My car-driver is a Welshman from Pontypridd. He is one of the
best drivers I've struck out here and a first-rate fellow to
boot. He has played a lot of Rugby, having turned out several
times on the wing for Cardiff. He is quite young, not much older
than myself. Like most Welshmen, he has literary tastes, and has
a real gift for reciting poetry.

_The Alleynian_ duly to hand. Its monthly War record for the old
school makes splendid, albeit mournful reading. How poignant to
read the record in dates of Edkins's life: "Born, 1896; left
school, September, 1915; killed in action, 1916." Judging from
the official account, Frank Hillier[14] must have done great work
in earning the Military Cross. I see also that K. R. Potter has
got the M.C. He is one of the most brilliant men Dulwich has
produced. He was one of the two men to win a Balliol Scholarship
in Classics in the second of those historic two years when we got
two in each year--a record equalled by few schools and beaten by
none. J. S. Mann, who took a Balliol Scholarship at the same
time as Potter, has been wounded in the trenches.

[Footnote 14: Lieutenant F. N. Hillier, M.C., R.F.A., son of
Mr. F. J. Hillier, of the _Daily News_. Educated at Dulwich.]

Deep was my grief to read of the death in action of R. F.
Mackinnon,[15] M.C., one of the finest forwards and captains who
has ever worn the blue-and-black jersey. He was captain of the
first fifteen in my first year at the school, 1908-9, in which we
had a pack of forwards of strong physique and whole-hearted
courage. Arthur Gilligan, who was in the same battalion as
Mackinnon, told me he was absolutely without fear, and was
continually working up little "strafes" of the Boches on his own.

[Footnote 15: Lieutenant Ronald F. Mackinnon, M.C. Born,
October 23rd, 1889. Killed, October 21st, 1916. Was in the
Dulwich 1st XV for three seasons, and captain of football