ity of Merrythought Station. The Ten Hundred were put through the
mill as never before. "Out fer a rest," a Stafford summed up, "be 'anged
fer a yarn ... called the last place Brake ... breaking us in fer this."

Poperinghe made up for it. A week without one Jerry aeroplane dropping
an experimental bomb or two, without the unpleasant company of Jerry
shells and free from apprehensive hours of uncertainty following a gas
alarm from forward areas in an unfavourable wind.

To be able to purchase from the inhabitants almost every conceivable
necessity dear to the heart of the soldier, to mingle freely with
"civies," to walk on hard, firm roads, theatres, cinemas, and to mingle
nightly with other regiments compensated somewhat for what had passed.

They were shyly proud of their Cambrai record, said little of their
deeds before other men, but withal treasured up every meagre speech of
candid appreciation emanating spontaneously from those who had heard of,
but hitherto had not met the 1st Royal Guernsey. Stumpy, assisted by
his diminutive Middlesex pal, unofficially appointed himself an
authority on Normans and their place in European history.

"It was like this yere," he informed a crowd of Essex in the Church Army
Canteen one quiet evening, "we 'elped to make a 'ell of a mess of
England an' the chap wot we fought for made us, us----"

"Granted you democratic self-government."

"Eh, yes, wot you said."

"But you don't play games--football, cricket--in Guernsey."

"Why don't we?'

"You 'aven't any room ... you'd kick the ball over the side into the
sea." The Englishmen grinned.

"Wot do they wear--clothes or just a belt?"

"Don't s'pose they eat each other?"

"Wonder if any of 'em's black?"

"Wot do they live in--wigwams or caves?"

Stumpy, conscious of somehow saying the wrong thing and hurt by the
shower of friendly sarcasm, shrugged his shoulders.

"Orl right," he said, "take the bloomin' advantage of the tiny
isle--any'ow we 'ad the guts to come out yere."

"That's right, kid," someone offered him a fag, "you were a democracy, a
free country, long before England was ENGLAND at all, before the British
Empire was dreamed of. You were the first elements of that Empire...."

"'Ere," said Stumpy, grinning with delight, "'ave a bloomin' drink."

"Your Battalion saved a whole Division at Cambrai--."

"Ave a bloomin' nother!"

Even during this "rest" in Pop., working parties were daily sent up on
missions