We are not going back to quite the same part of the line, but near it.
It will be new country to me altogether, and to everyone else concerned.

Poor Swallow, poor Jezebel, poor Tank, I'd give anything to shelter you
three; but, alas! I fear you are going to have a nasty time of it now.
All clipped, too. It's Swallow particularly that I tremble for. He does
so throw up the sponge. Tank copies Bird in everything, so she ought to
pull through all right.


_December 1._

[Sidenote: AMIENS CATHEDRAL]

All leave is cancelled again, at any rate in this army--possibly on
account of the move, possibly on account of nasty fish in the sea.
However, the telegram says "until further notice," which usually means
for a short time only. Not that it affects me, but it's bad luck on some
of the men who were just off.

Now about Xmas. I have got a new crop, thank you ever so much, that I
bought at a town near here.

A beautiful cathedral town.

With doors all padded up with sand-bags, the great cathedral towers
above the town, and is seen for miles and miles. A good effort. What fun
they must have had building it. What they believed then they expressed
in outward and visible form. What we think now is (or ought to be) very