ut before our ken, in sunshine and in moonlight, the heart of the dead
city.

When I arrived at Potijze "Allen had gone to the Ramparts to take over,
as B Company proceeds there to-night. D Company are going to Goldfish
Chateau, the other side of Ypres. I had dinner at Potijze. Things were
quite peaceful at that time; we stood outside after dinner and admired
the view in the Salient. Just a few shells were flying over. At 11 p.m.
Captain Andrews, Dickinson and I, with Sergeant-Major Preston and a few
runners, left Potijze and returned to the dug-outs in the Ramparts.
There is more room to move about here!"

My first letter home after my return to the Ramparts--dated July
10--runs as follows:

"I am now back with B Company, as D Company have come out of the
trenches. Dickinson has been transferred from D Company and appointed
second-in-command of B Company in Halstead's place; and he is to be in
command of the Company in the push. Captain Andrews will be, in the push
(not before: Major Brighten is back and is on 'battle reserve!'),
second-in-command to Colonel Best-Dunkley--'the man who stands by
waiting for the other man to die,' as Colonel Balfour has wittily
remarked to Captain Andrews upon the arrangement! Captain Andrews is
really a very smart man; he could have been a staff officer once, but
Colonel Best-Dunkley would not let him go in for it. He did not want to
lose him. Colonel Hindle stands in a similar position to General
Stockwell.

"Gratton has gone to Headquarters (as Assistant Adjutant), so the
officers in B Company Mess now are Captain Andrews, Dickinson, Giffin,
Allen and myself, also an M.O. I had dinner in this dug-out and then
wrote a letter or two. Things were moderately peaceful at dinner-time,
and for an hour or two after. At 11 p.m., the relief having been carried
out, Captain Andrews, Dickinson and I, with Sergeant-Major Preston and a
few runners, proceeded to Battalion Headquarters, which are at a strong
point a little nearer the line. Then we turned back and proceeded to the
dug-outs where we were on July 1 and July 2. Allen had preceded us to
take over, and Giffin was with a working party in the trenches. While we
were on our way a deuce of a row began on the north; it was a German
raid on our trenches. So we watched it all the way. We got along quite
well until we were almost here. Then two shells burst just in front of
us. But we managed to get in quite safely.

"I am now in the same du