I suppose Nellie is very anxious over me, but tell her I am going on
grand, and am delighted I am living and able to use my rifle. As long
as I can account for a German life every time I get the chance, that is
all I care about, and every other British soldier is just the same. It
is marvellous the pluck of our officers; they would face anything, and
where they go we follow them, and would follow them anywhere. We have
a lot of our officers killed; and it is a pity, poor fellows, for they
are brave men. When we get close to the Germans they run like hell from
our rifle fire, and then we get a grand chance at them: _Sergt. E. F.
Eagar, Royal Irish Regiment_.
The Dog It Was!
There was a big, awkward, gawky lad of the Camerons who took a fancy
to a Scotch collie that had followed us about a lot, and one day the
dog got left behind when we were falling back. The big lad was terribly
upset, and went back to look for it. He found it, and was trudging
along with it in his arms, making forced marches to overtake us, when
he fell in with a party of Uhlans on the prowl. He and his dog fought
their best, but they hadn’t a chance, and both were killed: _A Private
of the Highland Light Infantry_.