returned to tell us the expedition had fallen short of complete
success. His share of the plunder for the Regiment had been one packet
of chocolate which he had eaten.

[Illustration: OUR TRENCHES IN THE FRONT LINE AT SUVLA
Emery Walker Ltd. sc
_To face page 20_]

We had now completed our turn in the line, and were relieved by the
158th Brigade, and went back to our old place in reserve which we
found very filthy. How we wished there were Dr Tukes in every regiment
and battalion. He had so inculcated everyone of us--officers and men
alike--with the vital necessity of cleanliness and the deplorable
habits and peregrinations of the household fly, that we sometimes
wondered if we were scavengers or soldiers. Though we lay no claims to
perfection--or anything like it--few trenches were cleaner than ours
were, and right to the very end of the war we never left a trench or
billet without it being cleaner and more "lime and creosol"-ated than
when we entered it.

The water arrangements had also been revolutionised, and we actually
had cookers and water-carts in the lines, but the greatest joy of all
was to go bathing again. The weather was not nearly so hot, and the
flies which had tortured us in their myriads during the hot weather
were now nothing like so numerous, which made it possible to enjoy
what food we had.

Rumour as to our future movements meantime was rife. Lord Kitchener
had come and gone, and all sorts of stories came from the beach. It
was not till 26th November that we knew definitely that evacuation had