n burrowing his way down into my tightly laced
valise. There he would sleep till he got so hot that he woke me up
again burrowing his way out. It would not be long before once again
the cold of the tent drove him to seek refuge in my bed. I hardly ever
had a night's complete rest. Once I rolled over on him, and, as he was
a very fiery tempered little dog, he got very displeased and began to
snap and bark in a most unpleasant manner. As the sleeping bag was
tightly laced it was difficult to extract him. Philo waged a kind of
submarine warfare there until grasping his snout, I pulled him out and
refused all his further appeals for readmission.

My little tent gave me great comfort and a sense of independence. I
could go where I pleased and camp in the lines of the battalions when
they came out of the trenches. This enabled me to get into closer
touch with the men. One young western fellow said that my encampment
consisted of a caboose, my tent, a cayouse, which was Dandy, and a
papoose, which was my little dog, friend Philo. Now that I had a
comfortable billet of my own I determined that Romarin was too far
from the men, so I removed my settlement up to the Neuve Eglise road
and planted it near some trees in the field just below the row of huts
called Bulford Camp. At this time, Murdoch MacDonald went to the
transport lines, and his place was taken by my friend Private Ross, of
the 16th Battalion, the Canadian Scottish. He stayed with me to the
end. We were very comfortable in the field. Ross made himself a
bivouac of rubber sheets. Dandy was picketed not far off and, under
the trees, my little brown pyramid tent was erected, with a rude bench
outside for a toilet table, and a large tin pail for a bath-tub. When
the battalions came out of the line and inhabited Bulford Camp and the
huts of Court-o-Pyp, I used to arrange a Communion Service for the men
every morning. At Bulford Camp the early morning services were
specially delightful. Not far off, was the men's washing place, a
large ditch full of muddy water into which the men took headers. (p. 096)
Beside it were long rows of benches, in front of which the operation
of shaving was carried on. The box I used as an altar was placed under
the green trees, and covered with the dear old flag, which now hangs
in the chancel of my church in Quebec. On top was a white altar cloth,
two candles and a small crucifix. At these services only about ten or
a dozen men attended, but