officers. It has deeply impressed me with the long and hard work
necessary to make an officer; and then, turning to the man's side of it,
it becomes plainer and plainer that it takes time, much time, to train a
private or a corporal into a reliable man on patrol.

One hard thing for us amateurs to learn is the proper writing of messages
containing military information. It is hard to decide what is important
enough to send, and then how to word the despatch. Tradition from an
earlier camp has handed down this model: "The enemy are in sight and are
about to do something." Where, when, how many, some notion, however
vague, of the enemy's disposition--all forgotten between excitement and
too great responsibility.

The march home was the hardest part of the day. The interest of the
skirmish kept us going; but the three miles back to camp at a quick pace
took it out of us all. I had not known I was so tired; the strain wore
hard on me; it seemed ages before we sighted camp, and then ages and ages
before we reached it. But this experience was the same as on Monday, for
though the very vigorous ones were able to whistle and sing, to the help
of us all, again I began to hear grumbling all about me. We reached camp
at last, and poor Reardon when we broke ranks dropped on the ground at
his tent door, without the energy to unbutton the flaps, and in a minute
was fast asleep there.

We had our dinner, which I put in my meat-can under the hay to keep hot
while I rested, then ate and felt refreshed. Then the afternoon we had to
ourselves, if you can so consider it when we have to clean our guns,
clean ourselves, come to conference, and come to Retreat. For my own
part, having yesterday sampled the slimy brook and having no taste for it
again, I washed my face and hands (after cleaning my gun) in a little
water from the canteen. Thus I am staying dirty. It is no more than I
have done before, in the deep woods.

"That was some hike we had this morning," calls Bannister to a friend
across the street. Such is the general opinion, especially Reardon's, who
slept till he had to be roused for conference. And I want especially to
chronicle that it was David who, declaring that Reardon would get
rheumatism from the bare ground, roused him enough to get him onto his
blankets in the tent; it was David who sat by him and prevented anyone
from waking him; and it was David who after cleaning his own gun, which
work the lad does not enjoy, clean