-2- position with their machine guns going all the tine. Our man was obviously at a disadvantage with a much slower machine than the germs. Suddenly our machine turned tail upwards and shot down to earth so we guessed the pilot was hit and it was all over, then when he was within a hundred feet of the ground he righted himself and came slowly flying towards out lines. He could not stay low as the germ machine guns in the trenches would have got him for he was over their lines, so he had to slant up again to the level of his adversary. Fritz of course came after him with his machine gun banging away like mad and it looked as if he had not a dogs chance and then we saw flocks of our aeroplanes coming to the rescue from all sides, so Fritz turned and beat it. I guess that aeronaut was glad to get to land again! I am anxiously looking forward to your next letter to know how the poor cock is going on. Sick fowls are the very devil. It seems such waste to kill them even if you can and they really are never any good if they recover. There is one thing you have another bird to breed from so if the sick one recovers you can stew him or sell him. Don't breed from him or you will only have endless trouble with sickly chickens. It is disappointing that you get so few winter eggs but I still believe Vvps. are the best winter layers. You know I am not a believer is wet mashes at all, only dry meal and scratch food. I hope you won't breed from the mongrel ducks, and that you have arranged for a supply of kids this spring. Now about your coming home - it would be a very nice change for you and would do you good but I am afraid you must not hope to see me in England unless it is with a chunk of shrapnel in me. Men who have been out here fifteen months are now on their first leave and very

BC Archives, MS-1901, Box 1, File 19, RUSSELL, Alma M., 1873–1964. Victoria; librarian. Letters from Cecil Harrow Unwin, 1916–1917.