eir Major wrote to me: "The Mess has never
been the same since." The world itself will never be the same to those
who loved Tom and Fred and their like who have "gone West."

Thinking of them reminds me of those good lines by Carroll Carstairs,
written in hospital after he was so badly wounded:--

"I have friends among the dead, (p. 088)
Such a gallant company,
Lads whose laugh is scarcely sped
To the far country.

"Jolly fellows, it would seem
That they have not really gone--
Rather while I've stayed to dream
They have marched serenely on."

THE CHURCH, ZILLEBEKE (p. 089)

OCTOBER 1918

"Mud
Everywhere--
Nothing but mud.
The very air seems thick with it,
The few tufts of grass are all smeared with it--
Mud!
The Church a heap of it;
One look, and weep for it.
That's what they've made of it--
Mud!
Slimy and wet,
Churned and upset;
Here Bones that once mattered
With crosses lie scattered,
Broken and battered,
Covered in mud,
Here, where the Church's bell
Tolled when our heroes fell
In that mad start of hell--
Mud!
That's all that's left of it--mud!"

CHAPTER XIII (p. 090)

NEARING THE END (OCTOBER 1918)

The Boche were now nearly on the run. I remember one day I went out
with General Stuart and Colonel Angus McDonnell--the General was the
railway expert, and was out to ascertain what amount of damage the
Boche had done to the lines, permanent way, etc. General Stuart was a
quaint little man. He seldom spoke, but when he did it was very much
to the point and full of dry humour. The Hon. Angus McDonnell, a true
Irishman, was a most attractive person, full of charm. He'd kissed
more than the Blarney Stone, and had received all the good effects,
and we had some most interesting days together. On the particular one
I mention, we went away beyond Cambrai to a place called Caudry, where
the General inspected the station and the general damage to the metals
and permanent way, after which we left and lunched by the side of a
road which ran through fields. All was peace, not a sound from the
guns--when suddenly shrapnel started bursting over these fields. No
one was in sight; a few Englishmen on horseback galloped past,
apparently for exercise. The Boche, I presume, couldn't see, but just
let of