were nearly 400, over 60 per cent, of those who went in.
Out of eighteen officers who went into the wood, thirteen became
casualties, every company commander being included in this number,
while the 1/60th suffered equally heavily.

"As I was making out our casualty return in our headquarters'
shell-hole by the light of the blazing trees, our Quartermaster
appeared with the rations. He threw a newspaper down to me, with the
remark: 'You'll find something interesting in that.' I opened the
paper, and found a full column describing how the South Africans took
Delville Wood!

"When we were moving back into support, I noticed a horrible smell,
and found it was due to the fact that almost every man was smoking a
Hun cigar, large quantities of which had been found in the trenches,
together with large quantities of soda-water.

"One of the Hun officer prisoners remarked that our advance through
the wood was the finest thing they ever saw, but that he objected to
being captured by civilians."

* * * * *

SOME LIGHTER STORIES.--Another story of Delville Wood, introducing the
M.O.

"During the Delville Wood show a captured Hun Red Cross man was
lending a hand in the Battalion aid post. Suddenly a scuffle was heard
on the steps of the dug-out, and the prisoner went to see what was the
matter. 'What's happened?' asked Doc. Isaac, busily engaged in
bandaging a wounded man.

"'Oh, it's only some of those b---- Bosches!' was the reply...."

* * * * *

There were many middle-aged men in the First Sportsman's. This
introduces one of them.

"The Battalion was marching down the main street of Carnoy when a
charming French girl of about eighteen dashed into the line of route,
evidently with the idea of 'parleyvooing' with one of the young
sports. She commenced in a breezy manner chatting with my father, a
youngster of fifty, not noting, at first, his grey hair. Suddenly he
turned his head toward her and smiled. 'Oh, papa!' she ejaculated, and
fled...."

* * * * *

The Quartermaster is a noted personage in the Army. This is to
introduce him.

"While the Battalion was at Aix Neulette the transport came under
shell-fire one morning. The shells came nearer and nearer, in a direct
line with the water-carts, highly polished, the pride of the corporal
in charge. The personnel eventually thought fit to take shelter in an
adjacent shell-