ld benefactors. This was another platform
canteen, and we were able to refresh ourselves for the
remainder of the journey, which was all too slow.

"Two R.F.A. and one A.S.C. man shared the carriage with me
up to London. We did not speak at all, we were far too much
occupied with our thoughts and visions of our welcome. It
was Sunday, and there were very few people about when we got
in. I clambered out of the carriage prepared to rush to the
Bakerloo, when a voice at my elbow asked, 'Is there anything
I can do for you? Are you a Londoner?' and a host of
questions bearing on my future actions. It was a Y.M.
official. He took me to the little box where my francs were
converted into English coin, then to Bakerloo Tube Station,
got my ticket, and with a handclasp dashed off to help
another. Had I been bound for the North he would have taken
me and given me a dinner, and put me into the right train at
the right time. I tell you these Y.M. chaps do their job
uncommonly well."

One Young Man Again in the Trenches

CHAPTER XII

ONE YOUNG MAN AGAIN IN THE TRENCHES

On his return from leave Sydney Baxter writes:

_January 29th, 1916._

"I am writing this in a small estaminet which is much
overcrowded, and in the conversation can only be described
as a din. Madame is hurrying round with coffees and fried
pommes de terre, whilst monsieur is anxiously trying to find
out if we are moving to-morrow. He is much disturbed, no
doubt thinking of the drop in the number of coffees apres
demain.

"I am keeping very fit and well, and much to my surprise
have not experienced any of the 'fed-up-ness' I anticipated
on my return from leave. To my mind, there is only one
experience to equal a leave from Active Service--that is the
final home-coming. My leave was pure delight from one end to
the other."

Sydney Baxter's Division was soon again on trek to a new position. He
writes:

"We had stayed in, and passed through, many villages, had
even had a fire at one, burning down one or two barns, and
yet life was uneventful. Marching most days, or, when
billeted, doing platoon drill, playing cards, reading or
writing in the cafes or our barns. Company concerts were no
good. We had heard all of our soloist