l be fried for having broken Holland's neutrality."

_Provinciale Groninger Courant._

A severe, but perhaps necessary, lesson.

* * * * *

A SPORTING DESPATCH.

[_From William Wheezle, K.G. (Keeper of Game), addressed to our own
Subaltern at the Front, and describing the operations of the Allied
Forces in and round the West Wood and the Middle Planting, November,
1914._]

Sir,--I have the honour to report that on Saturday last the Allied
Forces advanced, as soon as they could be got out of bed, in the
direction of the West Wood. The troops under my command, or supposed to
be under my command, were drawn chiefly from the Old Fogey Division. In
addition to the Household Extremely Heavy Infantry, there were two
battalions of the 160th London Potterers (the "Puff Hards"), specially
summoned from Pall Mall to act with us. These battalions, under the
command of Colonel Bowindow, D.S.O., fully maintained the noble
traditions that attach to their name. There were also two regiments of
unmounted cavalry, the 210th (Flannel Feet) and the 306th Purple Lancers
(Buster's Own). These sections declined to co-operate unless provided
with shooting ponies.

Circumstances unfortunately deprived me of the assistance of other
contingents, such as the Dog-potters, upon which I had in previous years
been able to depend. At Westwood our troops deployed, and a hostile
demonstration on the part of the enemy, signalled by loud von clucks,
kept us thoroughly on the alert. They found our range very quickly, a
good deal more quickly, indeed, than we found theirs; but as they
advanced closer their casualties became more numerous. On the whole the
result of this action was not unsatisfactory. After a short march
through the bracken we occupied a well-chosen position in open country,
our troops availing themselves of such cover as offered, though some of
them took a good deal of concealing. A violent general engagement
ensued, and for some time the firing was continuous. The enemy's losses
were serious, a frontal attack in close formation and at a moderate pace
being attended with great disaster. The Potterers, after taking some
time to bring their guns into action, kept up a constant and, as they
assured me, effective fire.

Reports having been received that the enemy were holding the Middle
Planting in strength, I decided to manoeuvre in that direction. There
was an affair of outposts in t