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Description: I think you would have been amused last night if you had seen how this Brigade does its work. Mr. Compere[??] was reading Jorrocks aloud while the rest of the staff was working and we were in tears of laughter all the time. It was the part where Mr. Jorrocks was being tried as non compos and he had made a search of the dead horses and finished off the top with horses heads.

Description: My darling little Gin, I hope by the time you get this you will have had a day’s cubbing. Get as much as you can, 6 days is possible. I am afraid Stella must be an awful nuisance to catch but you are a very good Gin to do it all yourself. I am afraid it must have been rather hard cleaning the bits & stirrup irons. They looked quite nice in the photo.

Description: Those photos were not a success because you had such a dark background. Can’t you try a few more. If you could get it in a plain grass field well away from a fence it would be better. And turn the horses head up hill slightly so that he has to stand out well. Would so like another. Could not quite see my Gin very well in the ones you sent.

Description: I heard from Mrs. Hunter but I don’t know what to do about the dog. It would really be rather awkward having him here or rather getting him out. I don’t know how to manage it. I must write and say something about it though. Poor Gin back at lessons again, never mind, had a good summer holidays & 3 days cubbing. I do hope you will be able to have some days at Xmas. I shall have to give you some money for a subscription if I can. Not got much money at present. Poor Jack. Wasn’t it funny of Mrs. Sandford wanting to know if we would take Fred Hall [?] again after all she said. I wish we were all back there again & going to have a winter’s hunting. It would be lovely. Now darling little Gin I must stop. This Jack does so miss its Gin. Give my love to the Hewitts & thank him for his letter.

Description: It would be lovely if we could each have a young puppy and train it. I wonder if I shall hear from Hunter. I think the vets had a pt. to pt. meeting the other day all round my dug out. I could distinctly hear them cheering after the cull. I suppose it must have been a good win. I am thankful to say it is fine here at the moment. I do hope it will stay like this. No one seems to have had that rain last Tuesday. I suppose you will be going back to Newbold very soon. Don’t forget to send me the photos little darling little Gin. Now I must stop. Lots and heaps of love darling little Ginny Cracknut from your ever loving little Jack. Give my love to the others.

Description: I wonder if you have got an archibold yet. I do hope you have. I am longing to get that half pound of butter you have made. Been horribly wet and the parts of the trenches are full of water. I am so sorry for the men. I wonder if you have heard anything from Mr. Hewitt about fishing yet. By the way before I forget, I love eels. Could you send me 2 or 3 really big eels. I think they would travel all right. I must stop now, my darling little Gin. There is just a faint chance I might see you about the 11th but I don’t know yet. Lots & heaps of love, darling little cracknut from your ever loving little Jack.

Description: He did not seem to have the slightest idea of it. I was very amused. I could hardly believe it, we did a good bit of laughing after he had gone. Have you had the photos done yet of those we took of you and me at Egdon. I should so like to have some. I think the ones of you on the Camel are awfully good. It must have been rather dull at Hereford I should think after Egdon, but it was just as well to go for a bit. Thanks so much for the lashes and the Hound book, it was very interesting seeing it. There are still several couple of hounds that I knew.

Description: My darling little Gin, I was so pleased to hear you had such a good day’s cubbing to finish up with. You must have had it all to yourselves. I am sorry Fred did not let you keep that brush, it would have been something to have anyway. I don’t suppose all the hair would have come out of it. I think you did quite right with your tips, it was just as well to give Tom a good one as it is important your saddle should be looked after well and I think 2/6 was enough for the boy as he did not have anything to do.

Description: I am more pleased than I can say with my darling little Gin. I think it is splendid your being able to do everything yourself like that. I do hope we shall have a lovely time hunting together before long. The Gin shot 2 archibolds very well too. I wish we had been able to pick up [??] this one at Hawkhurst. If only you could have a light gun, you would very soon be able to shoot partridges. Have as much practice at archibolds as you can though. It is very [a] very good way of beginning.

Description: My darling little Gin, I am so glad you got your day’s cubbing all right on Thursday. I hope it was a good one. Let me know all about it when you write. I do wish I could have had another day. We had a most exciting crossing over the Channel. No lights of any description. We were all supposed to put on life belts before we started and remain in them, but we did not do it. We went over very quietly and lots of boats hooted at us quietly as we went along.

Description: I was rather amused at Frank saying the camel used to buck a lot. I expect he did. I believe he can now when he feels inclined. This is a very hard pencil. I hope you will be able to read this, it is rather faint, little Gin, but perhaps you can manage. You remember the story I told you of burning chairs. The [Sami?] came to see us yesterday. He said he had got a gymkhana on today for the children & it was rather amusing as there was a good deal of things going on.

Description: I suppose it was some kind of signal as we had no lights. However we got in quite safe. The next night Boulogne Harbour was full of mines and the boat could not go, so they all got an extra day’s leave. George Colville was one of them. I have got the [??] all right. Thanks so much darling little Gin for thinking of it & not forgetting all about it in the excitement of cubbing. I was so pleased to get the Hound back too. I have got it on the table in my dug out.

Description: Will you thank the Hewitts very much for me. Look at this letter through the light, hold it up. I have written to Mrs. [Mr.??] Hunter about the dog I hope I shall get him all right. I am going to get one of the officers to get him back when he goes on leave. I should love to have a day here. Layton grows fatter and fatter & I think his brain grows smaller in proportion, he is really almost beyond hope as a servant. He eats very well though. Molsh sent me Soapy [??]. I am very glad to get it and read parts of it out loud last night. We laughed for ages, it was most amusing. Now my darling little Gin I must stop. Give me more advice if you like about the horse fund. I love you darling and like to get your advice. I wish we were hunting together again. Lots & heaps of love darling little Cracknut from you ever loving little Jack.

Description: I am so glad they gave you the brush and you had a real good gallop. Been doing a lot of rat[??] hunting. Hoping to have [??] out here soon. I hope she will be some good. Vilge [??] has got a splendid nose for [??]ing up to a rat & very seldom makes a mistake, and he kills them very well if he draws them out, but is still rather a fool with them in the open. It is getting very late. I think I had better stop this & finish it tomorrow, especially as it can’t possibly go tonight.

Description: It would have been safe there anyway. I was so anxious to make a little more so I put it into the risky thing. I don’t think I will try that any more, darling little Gin. I think you would be a great help to this Jack. You are so sensible and I love you for it. I am so delighted today. I forget whether I told you or not I was to get the 2 blood horses for a German shovel (earth cutting tool). I have found one today going round the trenches so I am going to send it off.

Description: I hope the horses will be good ones. I am afraid a week at the end of this month is hopeless. Hereford would certainly be rather an awkward place to hunt from. However let us hope for Xmas, it is not so far off and I do hope you can have another good time then. I am so sorry to disappoint you, little Gin but it cannot be helped, I am afraid. Thank you so much for the pears. They have been out in the sun some time but they are not quite ready yet.

Description: My darling little Gin, I am sending you [a] cheque for £3.00. £1 is for you as you may be in want of a little money going back to Rugby & send the other £2 to the [??] N.H.H. as you have had six days with them. You can get 2 postal orders & send it from yourself. I think Ted Hygate is [??]. Absolutely delighted to hear of your good day at [??] and getting a bit of fox. I saw an [??] of it in the Hereford Times.

Description: I wish you had been able to have a day with Daisy Fuller. It would have been great fun. I thought they all hunted hard. It is an awful nuisance I have got to go out to dinner with one of the [??] of the Regiment. I hate leaving my dug out where it is comfortable to go & dine in someone elses. Vilge is getting very cross these days, he barks at everyone who passes my dug out & tries to bite the Belgian civilians.

Description: My darling little Gin, I was so delighted to get another letter from you today. I do so love you and your letters, darling little Cracknut. I think I might be able to save something out of the horse fund after all. I hope it won’t be quite as bad as I said. I will write about it again today. It looks as if I might be able to get a bit of it back again. I do wish I had put it in the War Loan as you say.

Description: My darling little Gin, Delighted to get two letters from you this morning. I am so sorry darling little cracknut at telling you too soon. But this poor Jack first anxious to get with Gin again. It is very good of Mrs Hewitt to bring you up to town. I hope I will get away next week all right. Simply longing to see you again.