(p. 077)
confidence among all ranks was extraordinary. No one had the feeling
that we were going down and under, and it would have done the pessimists
at home a world of good to have caught a glimpse of conditions out in
France and of the cheery optimism that prevailed there. There was even
disappointment, in some quarters, that the enemy had not attempted to
attack us on this front, but he evidently thought discretion was the
better part of valour, for the defences were, by this time, very
strong, and it would have been strange if he had managed to penetrate
to any depth.

About the middle of May, it was the will of those in authority to rest
the Division a while, and although we were not in any urgent need of a
rest, we were not disinclined for it, as the season of the year was
favourable, and we pictured all manner of good times in store.

The Brigade, therefore, withdrew to the wagon lines, marched the
following day to Humbercourt, the village appointed for our resting
place.

CHAPTER XI. (p. 078)

The Turn of the Tide.

It invariably happened, when the Brigade came out for a period of
rest, that expectations of a real holiday were never fully realized,
and although the time passed pleasantly enough and we were favoured
with fine weather, all ranks were kept pretty busy. Many tactical
schemes were practised, and we had always to hold ourselves in
readiness to render assistance, at short notice, to the troops who
were in the line, for our Command was taking no risks and had not
entirely given up the possibility of a hostile attack on this area.

It must be admitted, however, that in the end everybody enjoyed
rehearsing these schemes, and we would have been well acquainted with
our duties had the emergency arisen. Our resentment, also, at being
called upon to partake of violent exercise so early in the morning,
completely disappeared after a while, the country looked so beautiful
at dawn, and we usually returned in time for breakfast, with
well-whetted appetites, after some three or four hours in the saddle.

Unfortunately, at this time, the scourge known as "Flanders Grippe,"
which had been prevalent throughout the Army, developed in our
Brigade. For a considerable time this epidemic paralysed us, more or
less, as about half our number was down with the disease at the same
time. Although it passes after taking its three days' course, one is
le