fixed so that it gets you in
the chin goin down an on the top of the head comin up. Hed have split
more than the difference long ago if it hadnt been for that tin derby
of mine.

[Illustration: "IVE FOUND THE FIRST REAL USE FOR MY TIN DERBY"]

Marv Motel, whats gunner on my piece, is busy all day fixin things up.
He says if were goin to be here the rest of our lives we mights well
have things homelike. He dug up an old rug an a lace curtin somewhere
that the Germans had missed. The rug hes got in the gun pit an the
curtin over the trail of the gun to set the barrage shell on. They
keep a shell ready all the time in case somebody starts a battle
without the usual weeks notice. Marvs got it shined up like a young
doctors door plate. Every nite he raps it up an put an old one in
its place. Angus says when he gets time hes goin to carve the names of
the gun crew on the side sos we can take it back an give it to some
museum.

Well, Mable, you might as well take down your service flag. I guess
the only action Ill ever see is when I get home an meet Archie
Wainwright.

Yours till theres something doin
_Bill_

_Dere Mable:_

Well, you can take your service flag out of moth balls agen. An if the
Fritzes try any more monkey bisiness like they did this mornin you can
buy a can of radiator paint for the star.

Angus an I was standin outside the dugout finishin our mornin goldfish
an plannin a few correkshuns for the army when a boiler exploshun
happened right behind us. After things had quieted down a bit I looked
out from behind a piece of old stone wall where I seemed to be lyin,
to see if there was anything left for identificashun. I saw a foot
layin outside the dugout. I knew it belonged to Angus cause hes the
only man in the army with one like it. I was just goin to pick it up
thinkin his family might like it to remember him by when another foot
came out. Then the whole of him. Hed crawled under an old pawlin that
had been spread out to dry. This war certinly has proved that fish
aint a brain food. Outside of bein a little mussed up from a mud
pubdle hed found under the pawlin he seemed all right. When I ast him
if he was lookin for anything, tho, he got all worked up. The Skotch
is awful emoshunal.

While we was standin there wonderin wether somebodied been smokin in
bed in the amunishun dug out another boiler blew up right in front of
us. At least I think it was in front as near as I could tell