many blankets now that I got to put a book mark in the place I get in at
night or Id never find it again.

We spent most of our time tryin to find somethin to burn up in the Sibly
stoves. A sibly stove, Mable, is a piece of stove pipe built like the
leg of a sailurs trowsers. Old man Sibly must have had a fine mind to
think it out all by hisself. They say he got a patent on it. I guess
that must have been a slack winter in Washington. The government
gives us our wood but I guess that the man who decided how much it
was goin to give us had an office in the Sandwitch Islands. I says the
other day that if theyd dip our allowance in fusfrus wed at least have
matches, eh Mable? Im the same old Bill, Mable. Crackin jokes an keepin
everybody laffin when things is blackest.

[Illustration: "BUILT LIKE THE LEG OF A SAILURS TROWSERS"]

I was scoutin round for wood today an burned up those military hair
brushes your mother gave me when we came away. I told her theyd come in
mighty handy some day.

They say a fello tried to take a shouer the other day. Before he could
get out it froze round him. Like that fello in the bible who turned into
a pillo of salt. They had to break the whole thing offen the pipe with
him inside it an stand it in front of the stove. When it melted he
finished his shouer an said he felt fine. Thats how hard were
gettin, Mable.

I bought a book on Minor Tackticks the other day. Thats not about
underaged tacks that live on ticks as you might suppose, Mable. Its the
cience of movin bodies of men from one place to another. I thought it
might tell of some way of gettin the squad out of bed in the morning but
it doesnt. All the important stuff like that is camooflaged sos the
Germans wont get onto it.

Camooflage is not a new kind of cheese Mable. Its a military term.
Camooflage is French for cauliflower which is a disguised cabbage. It is
the same thing as puttin powder on your face instead of washin it. You
deceive Germans with it. For instance you paint a horse black and white
stripes an a German comes along. He thinks its a picket fence an goes
right by. Or you paint yourself like a tree an the Germans come an drink
beer round you an tell military sekruts.

Well I guess its time to say Mery Xmas now Mable. I guess it wont be a
very Mery Xmas withut me there, eh? Cheer up cause Im goin to think of
you whenever I get time all day long. Im pretty busy nowdays. I got to
watch the men work. It keeps a fello