Niagara Camp
June 22nd

Dear Cath:

Talk about your tough luck!! If I haven't had my share of it it's a mighty funny thing. Here I am laid up again and dear knows how long it will be before I can do a little hike without being a casualty. We went to Queenston last Friday as usual and of course the scouts were sent out ahead. There were 16 of us in the bunch and we made the 12 miles to Queenston in a little over three hours. I felt fine when we started out, but when we got 4 or 5 miles from the monument I began to limp in spite of myself. Mr. Alexander, our scouting officer noticed it and wanted to carry my rifle but I was pretty mad and told him I'd get there all right. I did manage to keep with the rest but I couldn't come back with them. I got a ride back in the ambulance instead. But it certainly gets my goat to have to drop out every time and me a scout. Some scout. Well I was off duty till yesterday morning and then I thought I was good enough to line up with the crowd for inspection by Sir Sam. Perhaps you saw something about the review in the "Mail & Empire (?)" but it was a whole lot muddier than they made out for we had a lovely rain just before going out. We were out marching around from 10 till 1.30 and then Sir Sam let us off for the rest of the day. Then today we went on a little 5 miles march and the first thing I did when we got in was to go & see the M.O. Result - light duty for a few days and no chance to go to Queenston tomorrow. Can you blame me for being peevish? Oh well I should worry. What gets me though is that Lawrence made the whole trip and he got called down afterwards for not staying in his tent. You will likely see him in town Sat. night. He is going home for the week-end.

Say, what do you know about this. Here I've been writing home once a week regularly and about the first thing I heard from mother when I saw her last Sunday was "why don't you write oftener?" So now I've decided to write them every day and if that doesn't satisfy them I'll eat my straw hat. I �m thinking they will have to step lively to answer them all through. I haven't written today but I must scratch off a few lines in the morning if I get time. Guess I'll have time enough to spare.

So you are going to Leamington this summer. Well you l sure have a dandy time. Hope you don't leave till Monday July 3rd for I expect to be home on the 1st and am going to try & arrange to get there in time to have a game of tennis in the afternoon. I suppose I'll have to learn all over again but I know you'll have pity on me and not beat me too badly.

So you had to call off your trip to Forbes. That was too bad for you missed a high time no doubt about that. - I was there once myself. Perhaps you heard about it. I drove a couple of kids from Ridgetown out there and then got into trouble for not bringing four back. I couldn't possibly put four in the rig besides myself though, for the colt (?) I had was so nervous I had all I could do to manage it.

Say how is the weather down there. It was frightfully cold here last night and we pretty near froze. It looks as if it were going to be rather chilly tonight too.

Oh no, Cath you didn't give anything away when you told me about the grafonola.
Whit wrote me and mentioned it before I heard from you so don't worry your head about that.

Are your exams all over now? How did you make out. I know you've got a pretty good idea. I have anyway. I'm glad I haven't got to worry about that this year, but to tell the truth I'm not getting off scot free at that price. I thought when I joined the army I was through with my school troubles but that's where my luck shows up again. For the past 3 weeks we've had very little to do except working out scales for military maps, &c and that's nothing but mathematics; takes in geom. alg. & trig. and a whole lot of other stuff besides. We have to try an exam set by headquarters in a few weeks and those that make the exam will get their certificates and wear the fleur-de-lis (thats the distinguishing mark of the scout) on their sleeves. What little I did learn at the R.C.I. is helping me out a good deal but Babe seems to be having his difficulties. Of course I wouldn't have you say anything about that for fear he should hear it and he seems to think he will make a 1st class scout. There are 16 scouts in the batt. (4 from each Co'y) and they are all fellows who have had a partial education. Most of them have been through high school.

Well, I must blow out my little candle now & turn in for there goes the "lights out." All the other fellows except 3 are snoring. Two of us are writing & the other two are reading. Remember me to Margie & the rest of the folks - don't forget Bobs I know he hasn't forgotten me.

Leslie