A lovely day, but hot; trenches getting smelly and full of flies. M.G. fire at night very irksome. At present they haven’t bothered us with shell fire. The trenches are only breast works and would crumble away. We are on the bank of a small stream, and I have rigged up a bath-house, found boilers and fireplace in working order—so we bath men each day. I bathed yesterday; splendid bath. I captured Shill. to come down this a.m., and he’s bathing now, and is staying to lunch. They are having a bad time in front line, and are very crowded. They’ve sent 22 of our men, who were slightly wounded on July 1^st, to 2 R.Ir.Rif [2^nd Royal Irish Rifles]. I got a letter from them imploring to be brought back. I have written in an official. The men are settling down fairly now. Sgt. Johnston is perfectly all right notwithstanding all he went through. Luckily the Bosche gives us credit for a good deal more astuteness than we possess.