of thick strong socks and some
Canadian chocolate. Most useful, and very kind. I shall write soon to
thank her.

IN BILLETS.
_January 28th, 1915._

This being our last rest day, I was out shortly after five o'clock
with our acting General inspecting a new work. It is not healthy to do
so much later in the day. We found two shell holes in it as it was,
and the thing is only traced out, not made as yet. For Lady Bell's
address [the Governor of Aden's wife] you will find a book giving it
in my despatch case. Please send her my history as promised. I heard
from Lady Macready yesterday, full of life as usual. She and I have
been friends for a very long time, and we used to ride together in
Egypt years ago. Sir Nevil has been motoring round the south of France
inspecting Indian rest camps, and spent two days at Avignon on leave.
I managed to obtain the Distinguished Conduct Medal for the bugler who
always accompanies me everywhere on my peregrinations. He has been
with me through some nasty times, though nothing to talk about very
much, and I am glad to be able to reward him. Besides, it is good for
the men to find that any work well done under my own eye may win them
some recognition. I was out for a scamper yesterday afternoon
inspecting my transport. This latter, by-the-by, has been very
favourably reported on as the best looked after in the division (I am
told). It is flattering, but one never knows! My Brigadier also
complimented me on the smartness of my guards at Brigade Headquarters.
If you saw the poor dears crawling out of the trenches, caked with mud
and numbed with wet and cold, you could not understand how they could
turn themselves out fairly decently twenty-four hours later, when they
only have the one suit they are actually wearing all the time. I have
not heard if the Saddler's Company proposes to send me any coffee, but
I expect to hear in due course. As to the numb feeling in one's feet,
one never has time to rub oneself over with Bengue's ointment. It will
have to stand until the summer, I expect. The cake has duly arrived,
and is tucked away until to-night, when we arrive in our trenches
again, worse luck!...

IN TRENCHES.
_January 29th, 1915._

No letter from you last night; it must have missed the mail; but there