s. The
charge for soldiers is only 2s. a word, so a dozen of us can say
"quite well" to our relations for about 2s. 8d. The official at the
office said the wire was now open, but that he had no change. However,
he produced 5s. when I gave him L2. It was a little short, but the
change was valuable. He said that to pass the censor it must be signed
by an officer, so I had to look for one. After some dusty tramping, I
found a captain of the Staffords, saluted, and made my request. We
were, I suppose, about equal in social station, but I suddenly--I
don't know why--felt what a gulf the service put between us. He was
sleek and clean, and talking about the hour of his dinner to another
one, just as if he were at a club. I was dirty, unshaven, out
at knees, and was carrying half a sack of fuel--a mission like
this has to serve subsidiary purposes--and felt like an abject
rag-and-bone-picking ruffian. He took the paper, signed it, and went
on about his confounded dinner. However, I expect mine rivalled his
for once in a way, for when I got back one of the "boys" (nigger
drivers) had cooked our chicken and cabbage, and we ate it, followed
by scones and marmalade, and, to wind up with, black coffee, made from
some rye coffee given us by one of our Canadian prisoner friends. I
had met one of them near the telegraph office, and visited his
quarters. Rye makes remarkably good strong coffee, with a pleasant
burnt taste in it. The camp had filled up a bit, the Manchesters,
Staffords and 2nd Field Battery, of Rundle's division, having come in.
We also played with flour and fat over our fire, and made some
chupatties. The Captain had sent a foraging party out to secure fat at
any price. Quite a warm night. A deep furrow passed near my harness,
and I had a most comfortable bed in it.

_July 31._--The first batch of 250 prisoners have come in, and are
herded near. They are of all ages from sixty to fifteen, dressed in
all varieties of rough plain clothes, with some ominous exceptions in
the shape of a khaki tunic, a service overcoat, etc. Some seemed
depressed, some jocular, the boys quite careless. All were lusty and
well fed. Close by were their ponies, tiny little rats of things,
dead-tired and very thin. Their saddles were mostly very old, with
canvas or leather saddle-bags, containing cups, etc. I saw also one or
two horses with our regimental brands on them. Some had
bright-coloured rugs on them, and all the men had the same, which