hes extend behind Albert, whereas North there is rarely more than
one real line of trenches. The French are much more business-like and
more thorough.

In the evening we returned to dinner, and again we had a very pleasant
one in celebration of my birthday. After dinner we played cut-throat
auction, and so to bed.

To-day Carroll has gone on leave. If I am lucky I may come home in a
week or two. If so, I wonder if it would be possible for us to go up
to Lowood or somewhere of the sort for a week, as I am longing for
some decent country--tennis, &c.

Much love to all, from your loving Son,
ALEC.

May 10th.

May 11th.

My darling Mother,--

To-day we transported all our worldly belongings in handcarts from our
former billets to a village about six miles nearer the firing line.
The village is called Bresle. It is quite a nice little village in a
hollow, only it is crowded with troops--three Battalions and various
other units all billeted in it. Consequently, though the men still
have room for their usual billets in barns, &c., some have very little
spare room, whilst most of the officers are billeted in tents, hiding
from aeroplanes, under trees. When we arrived we had to get parties to
move our tents into a field under a hedge and some trees. We have
three tents--one we use as a mess--and the men looted wood and doors
and made a splendidly fine table round the tent pole, also a form to
sit on. Another tent we all three--Kitty, Brand and myself--sleep in,
and a third we have handed over to the servants. I myself have a
folding bed that Captain Brockbank, of the Divisional Supply Column,
had made for me, and I hope to be fairly comfortable. Our little camp
is in the corner of a cultivated field, behind the farms on the hills
rising from the village. When we had finished putting up our tents, we
lay down for a late lunch of bully-beef sandwiches and cake and
watched Mademoiselle and the family digging the field. Then at the
other's instigation I offered Mademoiselle a piece of the cake you
sent me as my "gateau de marriage," telling her I had been married
vingt-cinq anees. It is always well to conciliate the native. To-night
I went to tea with the Battalion, several spare officers have arrived
out from our depot Battalion. They all have tents in a sort of
orchard.

To-