Hello Arthur,

The Colonel [?] who has been awfully decent hasn't allowed me on parade yet owing to the "Board" & some throat. I didn't get a longer extension because I wanted to get down to drill & marks & now he put me in "charge of the hives" when the others are out at work. That means lay down my blankets & sleep or do what I like. I am living a live of leisure for a little while all right; although of course I clean up round the tent some for [?] sake. We have a dandy oil stove in our tent which we paid a guinea for, and I can warm myself up with on & make Black Currant tea with some black currant jam betty sent, so although its painful to talk yet, I am feeling O.K. & wish they do something [?] and ship us to the front. We've had ideal weather her for a few days It's been freezing hard & the ground is covered with white rimed frost every morning & is hard as cement. (Also frost inside the tent; where the canvas [?] drops of ice on it where the [?] condenses). Its great though, & we manage to keep warm enough wrapped up in our 3 blankets at night. And I've [?] broken in to the grub again and eat fat pork for breakfast, good fuel that. Gee! Kid I feel kinda homesick right now for a fellow has been playing all the old tunes and [?] they used to play at the [?] & then another used to play; & with a little imagination this big manguee might be the Max to all Gym well to to old kid. This is the life What! Remember me to the Petersons & Cory kids

Eric