foraged round for ourselves. After being kicked out once or twice we
finally settled our men and bagged a Battalion Headquarters for
ourselves. The Brigade lent us blankets as our valises had been left
behind with guns, ammunition, &c., for the Division to bring along.

We moved off again the next afternoon about three miles to Rehencourt,
and there found a terrible muddle. A.S.C., two brigades R.F.A., our
Brigade Headquarters, all trying to billet in one small village. We
found a large billet marked up for our two batteries, and the machine
gun company, and, while we were trying to fit in, an A.S.C. Colonel,
who was town major, came bustling round looking into every barn and
calculating how many they would hold. He would go into each little
hencoop and chalk up about 100 men on the door, and, finally finished
up by looking round for a loft for 14 officers to sleep in, in which
he proposed to jumble up ten machine gun officers and four of
ourselves. When he had gone we put our men in (not according to his
scale). We bagged the house for ourselves and the machine gun officers
went out and discovered billets for themselves.

We have a priceless little mess-room papered in yellow and white, old
oak-carved chairs, oak table, shaded lamp, &c., and a bedroom with one
bed in it.

Madame was in tears at having so many soldiers all over the place, but
we soon pacified her, and did all she wanted, and now she cannot do
enough for us, especially as I send Fuller, my servant, who is a
gardener, to work in her garden every day. I will give you a rough
plan of the house, as it is typical of the farms we are in:

[Illustration]

We get a lot of food from Madame--Fowls, eggs, milk, lettuce,
asparagus, &c. We have very good meals. We seem to have the best
billet in the place. Brigade Headquarters, of course, spotted the best
billet, a chateau, and went there; unfortunately it is owned by a mad
French Countess, who ran about locking all the doors in front of them.
They could not get into the house at all at first and had to eat and
do everything in the garden. Finally, they got assistance from a
French General and got bedrooms, but they have their meals in the
passage, and their office in a stable. Madame came at 8-0 the first
night and ordered the general and all of them to bed. But they were
not obedient.

Greig came in the other night and was very jealous of our billets,
seeing he had missed his chance and had judged by exter