" ... The weather continues to be glorious: too hot to do anything. I am Orderly Officer to-day. One of my duties as such is to inspect the billets. They are scattered on all sides of the village, so quite an appreciable walk is entailed. The Orderly Sergeant and I had a drink of milk at one farm. We felt a little refreshed after that. I mounted the guard with the Regimental Sergeant-Major. (Clements.) This afternoon he has been made Sergeant of the Transport, and has been succeeded as R.-S.-M. by Sergeant-Major Hoyle of B Company. Sergeant Preston becomes Company Sergeant-Major of B Company. "Yesterday the padre was appointed President of the Sports Committee, but, as the Colonel wanted to arrange everything on his own lines--suggesting races in full pack, amongst other things!--he has resigned to-day. "I had my first interview with Colonel Best-Dunkley this morning. As Orderly Officer I was present at Commanding Officer's Orders. When he arrived at the Orderly Room he saw me and said: "'Who are you? Let me see, I don't think I have been introduced to you yet. How are you?' "I replied that my name was Floyd; and he shook hands quite genially! "There were only two cases up for orders. One man was there for cheeking a sergeant. He had called the sergeant something which cannot be repeated here. "'Why the b---- h---- did you speak to an N.C.O. like that?' exclaimed the Colonel in a Judge Jeffreys tone. 'Will you take my sentence? Or will you have a court martial?' he demanded. "The man replied that he would take the Colonel's sentence. "'Fourteen days Field Punishment No. 1,' snapped the Colonel. Exit prisoner. "After orders, Colonel Best-Dunkley asked me: 'What is your strong point?' I replied that I was sorry to have to say so, but I had none; I was not a specialist on anything. He did not even then become annoyed, but went on asking me one or two other questions. How long had I been gazetted? 'Not long,' was his comment on my reply. How long had I been in the Army? What unit was I in before? Where had I been educated? When I had answered these questions he expressed himself satisfied; so I saluted and departed. So I am on quite good terms with him so far, despite his terrible reputation! The question is--how long shall I remain on good terms with him? I wonder." The next letter (June 14) recounts one of those solemn Battalion parades which I recollect so well--those parades concerning which copious orders used to be issued the night before, and in preparation for which we were instructed in the formula which we (platoon commanders) had to employ when the Colonel, to the accompaniment of sweet sounds from the band, reached the edge of our platoons: