my platoon being the advance guard, pushed on to the 

 far end and took over the Scot outposts in the dark. 

 The town was filled with booty the Scots had taken 

 from the bolsheviki who had been forced out only the 

 day before. Early in the morning we were cooking 

 breakfast when a fusillade from the river started us up. 

 A bolshevi boat, heavily armed, was trying to land a 

 force of men and had opened up on two Scots in a look- 

 out post and killed them. I got the balance of my 

 platoon out and* joined the Scots and Russians on the 

 river bank. We had a lively exchange of courtesies for 

 a time, and had forced the steamer to the opposite 

 bank, when our British gunboat down stream opened 

 up at three-mile range. The sixth shell struck full 

 amidships and set her afire. The crew beached her on 

 an island and scattered downstream on logs and planks. 

 The ship was loaded with ammunition and gave us a 

 fourth of July exhibition while it lasted. 



From that time for ten days we did little but march. 

 Leaving a town after breakfast we would halt at an- 

 other village late in the afternoon and take up billets 

 for the night. Usually we fared well in this respect. 

 Each platoon leader with his interpreter spots out room 

 for his own men. The houses are all alike, built of 

 logs, immense things. The front half of. both stories is 

 used for living quarters, the rear for stables and lofts. 

 Usually the kitchen and living rooms are clean and 

 warm, and make excellent headquarters for myself and 

 three sergeants, and the loft of straw does for the 40-odd 

 men of the platoon. I haven't seen a bed in Russia, 

 but the floor does quite well with an armful of straw 

 after a long day's march. We carry two days British 



