bullet does strange tricks. For
instance, one of them yesterday must have struck something, turned at
right angles, and gone on, killing an old soldier of mine by striking
him on the left temple, poor fellow! Well, I must close. I expect to
get out this evening, if alive. By the way, please send me several
pounds of plum pudding--the richer, the better. We can stand it. Very
greedy thinking about things to eat, but it takes one's mind off more
serious affairs. Young McClintock's regiment (the Gordon Highlanders)
has been sent in alongside myself. I went down to see it, but Stanley
was not there.

IN BILLETS.
_November 28th, 1914._

It is very odd, but all your letters have not arrived. We moved out of
trenches in the dark last night, and as we got well away were feeling
ourselves safe. "Zip" came a bullet, and hit the ground beside me; it
seemed rather unfair when one thought one was well out of range. We
got in here at 8.30 p.m., and, having two cold pheasants sent by Major
B.'s brother, we supped sumptuously. Please send me some more
pheasants or partridges cooked as before, and sewn up in sacking. This
house is a farm much like that one on the road to Newark before you
reach Muskham Bridge. The owner is evidently a rich man, for
everything is very nice, electric light laid on, but unfortunately not
going! We had our rest rudely disturbed by the Germans trying to shell
us. Whether we were betrayed by people pretending to be refugees or
not I cannot say, but within an hour of sending two away the shelling
commenced. Fortunately they missed us, though I heard that a couple of
officers of another regiment were killed. A possible reason, however,
which we have since found out is that some heavy guns of our own have
placed themselves beside us, thus letting us in for all the shells
that miss the enemy. We are rather irate at it. But to return to our
house. It has six bedrooms on the first floor, and some attics; the
rooms are quite middle-class looking, though the furniture in the
dining-room is of nice walnut. The Germans looted the place and
smashed the mirrors over the mantelpiece, whilst there is a bullet
hole through the door. I sincerely hope that something will happen
shortly to bring home to the German nation what a thing it is to
invade another country's property. It is quite _pitiful_ to see the
way everything is knoc