DUG-OUT A cramped dwelling-place, usually above ground. STAND-TO An hour of preparedness at dawn and at dusk when every one is awake and wears his equipment (in trenches and supports only). STAND-DOWN The finish of 'stand-to.' KNIFE-RESTS Barbed wire in sections. CUSHY A 'soft' thing. TO GO SICK To report oneself ill to the doctor. TO GET DOWN TO IT To lie down, go to bed. CRIBBING OR GROUSING Complaining. R. L. 20.5.15 [_To a Brother_] "_26 May 1915_ "I expect you have read it, but I want to recommend to you _Simon Dale_, by Anthony Hope. "We had the gas over here on Monday morning about 3 or 4 a.m. Although it was coming from a point about four miles away, as we learnt afterwards, it was very strong and made our eyes smart very much. "We have got hold of some liqueurs from Railhead, a large bottle of Chartreuse and one of Curaçao. "Good-bye and good luck." "_Saturday, 29 May 1915, 8.30 p.m._ "We have again done a little move, this time with bag and baggage. We are now on the outskirts of 'No. 1,' and due west of it. The men have built themselves dug-outs along a hedge and we (C Coy. officers) are installed in an untouched château. Quite comfortable. Fine lofty rooms. We only use part of the house. We have the kitchen, and a large dining-room on the ground floor. We sleep upstairs on the first floor (our valise on hay). At least, Thomas and I do, the Captain and Case have moved down and sleep on large fat palliasses in the dining-room! We have the rest of the house empty to ourselves to-night, but various headquarter staffs seem to come in turn and occupy two of the other ground floor rooms occasionally. "We have been out two nights digging on the opposite side of the town, but we have not been ordered out to-night, so far. "I notice I have now been gazetted back to 15 August, the same as most of my contemporaries. "There has been a suggestion made that I should take a course of machine-gun instruction in order that I might act as understudy to our present Machine-Gun Officer (M.G.O.) who is Roscoe, and is the successor to Wyatt. I agreed, but it may have 'fallen through' owing to the move. If it comes off I shall go for a fortnight's course to a place which I will call No. 3 [probably St. Omer.] "I got a letter from you to-day about 5 p.m. I was so glad. "No, I am not making things out better than they really are. I like to write mostly about the pleasant parts, of course. We have our unpleasant moments, shelling and so on, but no very bad times as yet. Being on tenterhooks is quite the worst part.