fire at the Y. M. C. A. tent.

Men are trying to dry themselves on one side while they get wet on the
other. Word has come which puts the company in mourning--Loretta is
detained by business, and will not rejoin us. David says in my ear, "Damn
him, I meant to get even with him!" This for Reardon's sake, who laughs
at David's energy, yet I think is rather touched by it. We have had our
usual talk with the captain at the company fire, and rather gently he has
pointed out to us our shortcomings, especially our platoon's in giving
the major such trouble.

But some men of our platoon came to him with a grievance. In getting us
into our column of squads someone swore at the men, and they attributed
the profanity to the major's aide, a volunteer like ourselves. This
roused the captain. "No one shall swear at my men!" he declared, his
gentleness all gone. "I will talk with that aide." That obliged me to
speak. "Captain," said I, "I'm sorry to disagree with the others, but as
I happened to have admired the coolness of the aide, it doesn't seem to
me that he was in a state of mind to swear." One of our sergeants spoke
up. "I might have done it, sir. I was a little excited." The man has
sworn at us before, and Knudsen has resented it. The captain was
mollified by the admission, but he read the man a little lecture. "Never
swear at your men, sir. Apart from the fact that it does no good, it's
most unsoldierlike. I never swore at an enlisted man but once, when I was
a very young officer, and I never will again."

I must stop because of the damp and the discomfort, writing in this
flickering light, my legs, as usual, cramped. I despair of ever conveying
a proper idea of this rainy evening, the indifference of the hardy ones,
the dejection of the sensitive, crowding together wherever there is
cover, trying to keep dry at fires, or in final surrender crawling into
their beds, to wait the hours through. It is not raining at this moment,
but I am curious to know what the night will bring. The tent is pretty
well ditched, but the pin at my shoulder is very loose in this sandy
soil, and if it showers--! Good night.

DICK.

_P. S._ Overheard in I company street, loud language. One disputant: "I
keep my feet as clean as yours!" The other. "You do? I have washed mine
twice since the beginning of the hike." The first: "So have I, Monday and
yesterday. You take care of your