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[Page 22]
Major allows me to write in his office and to-day an American Lieutenant came in, so I took the opportunity to ask him if he could tell me how to find Col.C. and Major S. His reply was "I'm from Illinois - they ain't fr'm Illinois - who the Hell are they?" He was about as crude as they make them, so I didn't persist. An old baron owns all the land round here and they say that he puts in a claim for every blade of grass trodden on and eggs on every one of his tenants to do the same and get every penny out of those who are defending his property. They swear at the Australians but skin them all they can - the most avaricious rooks on earth. Luckily our claims officer is a French scholar and some years ago lived in this district studying the sugar beet industry. Added to this he is a sworn valuator so he frustrates their brazen attempts to rob us. It's degrading isn't it?
St. Gratien, June 27, '18.
To-day I expected B. over from the 4th Division but he didn't come. I was keen to learn from him how his work was progressing and what sort of subjects he was taking on. I found that yesterday's canvas of the horse lines was tacky, so started another, a small thing, while the first was drying. The small one I finished to-day, a neat little dug-out under the trees. The usual transient group of onlookers was in attendance. Captain E., the officer who introduced himself to me, came along and made some very intelligent and encouraging remarks. He also offered to take me out, when the opportunity arrived, to places of interest. Last night "Jerry" came over and did a lot of bomb dropping. The boys were in their blankets in the loft reading by candlelight. All of a sudden a quick ear caught and imitated the uneven drone of his engines, which don't synchronise. "The Hun!,
the Hun!" he said sing-song fashion. All listened, and then, as the lights went out, joined the first in the chorus. They do this every time, and as he gets near they change it to, "for you! for you!" To-day it was said that several of last night's Hun bombers had been brought down. This afternoon I saw a great attempt to stop a Hun airman. A very close "archie" barrage was put up to prevent his escape, until the hanging puffs of shrapnel smoke lay along the sky like a