pictures of incidents that go to make up
war, Conan Doyle's narrative is very good indeed. The story of
the heroic fight of "L" Battery R.H.A. at Le Cateau, when the
whole battery was wiped out save for an odd man or two, is
admirably told. War was war in those days, not like this
earthworm war that has replaced it. Still, no doubt the trench
phase will not last for ever.

_June 9th, 1916._

The school cricket XI seems to have been doing badly. It was
undoubtedly hard lines to go under by only four runs to Bedford,
but our bad season is only a tribute to the patriotism of the
school, for I can see from the names of the eleven that we have
no one playing over the age of 17. Our system of training the
young idea in cricket is very much inferior to the training for
footer. The consequence is that in Dulwich cricket a young team
is probably destined for disaster, whereas I know from experience
that whenever we've had a young footer team it has had quite as
much success as teams exclusively composed of fellows in their
last year at school.

To speak of bigger matters, it seems to me impossible as yet to
put together any connected story of the Battle of Jutland. The
only facts that seem certain are that both sides lost heavily
(the Boches worse than ours, I expect), and that British
superiority on the seas, and consequently the maintenance of the
blockade, remains _in statu quo antea_. I am quite prepared to
find, when the true facts come out, that it was a deathless story
of heroism on the British part, and that in a fight with a foe
about six times his strength Beatty covered himself with glory.

Lord Kitchener's death was terribly tragic. There ought to be
stringent inquiries as to the ways and means by which the Boches
were enabled to sink H.M.S. _Hampshire_. On the other hand, I can
see that it is possible that the whole thing was a woefully
unfortunate accident. To have one's name coupled with
"Kitchener's Army"--a title alone which should pass K.'s name
down to posterity--is no small honour.

WITH A SUPPLY COLUMN

In June Lieut. Paul Jones, much to his chagrin, was transferred from
the 9th Cavalry Brigade to the Divisional Supply Column. His letters
will show how much he resented this change. (Certa