Letters From the Front

Dated:

Letter from Angus McLean
France, Nov. 17, 1915.
Dear Bob:
Just a few lines in answer to your very welcome letter received last night. We are always glad to have a few lines from the old home town.
We are out of the trenches for a few days' rest now to quieten our nerves a little before we go back at it again. Things are still quiet out on this part of the line but the shells are continually going and coming and they get the nerve of the strongest men. You never know which one is going to get you. If your name and number is on one of them it will find you. Some of the shells don't explode and I think our number must have been on one of them. I saw one Germ-Hun shell go through the top of a dugout and not explode. Now maybe the men that were in that dugout didn't thank that little star they were born under. I don't blame them either, I would myself.
Well Bob I see you have been trying to get a standin with the cook (and cut your foot.) Well of course I am awfully sorry but Bill and I have been talking it over and we came to the conclusion that it served you right. You know that old saying about playing with edged tools. Never-the-less we will forgive you this time.
You were asking me if Bill and I were in the same tent. Well Bob the last time I was in a tent was when I was up to see Claud Kennedy about two months ago. We have huts out here where we are now, about twenty men in a hut and Bill and I sleep side by side. We are only in those huts four or five days in the month. We are in our little dugouts in the trench the rest of the time. You were asking me if this would be a good place to dig holes here for some time. They will be using the Jack Johnston holes but the only trouble will be to find enough dirt anywhere near to fill them in. It is sure some country. The sun shines on an average of twice in the month and when the sun is not shining it is raining.
Well Bob had more excitement this afternoon than I have had since I came out here. I saw three boxing bouts, lightweight, middleweight, and heavyweight. The lightweight was nockout, the middleweight a draw and the heavy was a decision on points. There was some classy boxing there too.
Say I haven't any more pictures left but if you tell Smith to write me I will get some when I go to England on leave and I will send him one. I wrote to Jack Tause to-day. I haven't heard from him since he came out to France.

Your old Pal, Fat.