There was a lull next day, so Bill and his friends shaved off their whiskers and had a bath in a cupful of water. Claud cleaned his eyeglass, and Paddy went in search of a glass of rum from some of the sailors. Sandy, then on light duty, opened up a business as a curio agent. He swapped Turkish rifles, bullet clips, and other things for pieces of bread, a tin of jam, a tasty Maconochie, and some tea. This was a godsend to his famished pals in the trenches. Bill also wrote a letter home to Mrs. McGinnes, his old Sydney landlady and financier:
"DEAR OLD SPORT,—Hope's your well. I'm well, but the Turks ain't well. Reckon we've killed millions of 'em. Ain't got the V.C. yet. There's a shipload comin' next week for The Kangaroo Boys. You can 'ave mine for a brooch. Likin' the life fine here—except the bullets. They generally kills a feller wot ain't careful. There ain't no undertakers out here. When we wants a new kit we generally borrows the clothes an' boots of a dead feller. We live in little 'oles jist like rabbits, an' the old Turks keep throwin' nasty things called bombs. They ain't nice—one blew a feller's head off last night. Pore chap, an' he had such a nice pair of trousers—I've got 'em on now. The snipers are nasty fellers, 'demned annoyin',' as my ole friend Claud says. One keeps hittin' my loop-'ole, but I'm going to 'ave the dirty ole rascal's blood to-night. Now, ta ta, old girl. Love to the children.—Your ole friend,
"BILL BUSTER.
"P.S.—Lend me a quid. What a thirst I've got. We can generally buy rum from the sailors. Make it two quid an' I'll send you a lot of kurios.
"P.P.S.—I needs tobacco—couple of pounds 'll do. An' throw in some cigarettes. Wot a life!
"P.P.P.S.—x x x x x x x x. These are for you—don't tell yer hubby. Bye-bye."
That night Claud spotted Bill crawling out of the trenches.
"Where are you going, you silly ass?"
"Who's silly?" said Bill, looking back at his friend in the trench.
Ping! went a bullet from the sniper. It went right through his trousers, but missed his leg.
"It's that feller I'm after."