the moment when he has achieved a beautiful polish on her, and either
has to go off to breakfast or else to get the saddle or something. It's
as good as a play.

We are learning the "tactical" merits of all the roads and woods and
hills (such as they are) all along our sector of front, and as much as
we can, with field-glasses, of the other side. An offensive. What fun.
But exactly where are we going to offend? Rumours everywhere. If, we
say, that village or that ridge has to be taken from this or that
unexpected position, how shall we do it? Suppose we get Fritz on the
hop, as they have near Peronne. Where are the most covered approaches to
the slopes of that hill? Shall we carry the thing off as splendidly as
those squadrons did before Peronne, or shall we bungle the show? You'll
see.

We get so few papers here, and only two days old at that, but no one
seems much the worse for it.

[Sidenote: NEUVE EGLISE]

Only one solitary man with lice so far. The man has been sent away, and
is, I hear, to be given sulphur baths and scrubbed with a scrubbing
brush.

Oh, I was going to say just now--_re_ reconnoitring--that we were doing
all the ground about a village where there is a church even more smashed
than the St. John place. It is on a hill, and all the village is Sahara.
The church remains with the remnants of four outside walls and the
tower. Fritz does not destroy the tower, as it is a good spot for him to
range on to. And outside the tower, right up at the top, is the bronze