particular journey. I had travelled with
Thompson before. I knew that he always secured food, that he never lost
his luggage, that he had an instinct for recognizing the right train
when he saw it, and that he had a healthy disregard for the dignity of
the official persons who clog the feet of wayfarers in France.

We met at the station. Thompson's breezy good humour gave me fresh
confidence at once. He looked energetic, hopeful and charged with
vitality.

"Come along." he said, "we'll report to the R.T.O. at once and get it
over."

In France under existing conditions the traveller reports to the Railway
Transport Officer when he starts his journey, when he finishes it and
at all intervening opportunities. An R.T.O. must lead a harassed and
distressful life. He sees to it that the traveller has a fair share of
life's trouble.

This particular R.T.O. began by trying to get us into a wrong train. I
suppose that was the line of least resistance for him. It was easier to
put us into the first train that came along. We should have been off his
hands, and another R.T.O stationed somewhere else, would have had the
job of getting us switched back on to our proper track again. The first
man--and this was all he cared for--would have been rid of us. Thompson
was equal to the situation. He talked vigorously to that R.T.O..
Thompson holds no very exalted rank in the army. I often wonder he is
not tried by Court Martial for the things he says. But the R.T.O., so
far from resenting Thompson's remarks, offered us a sort of apology.

"I've been on duty ten hours," he said, "and there's a whole battery
of artillery lost somewhere along the line. It never was my fault; but
every general in the whole army has been ringing me up about it. The
telephone bell hasn't stopped all day. Damn! There it is again."

It was; loud, angry and horribly persistent. Even Thompson felt sorry
for the R.T.O.

"Never mind," he said, "you'll get your Military Cross all right in the
end. All you fellows do. Now buck up a bit and find our train for us.
It's X. we want to get to."

I mention this incident to show the kind of man Thompson is and his way
of dealing with difficulties. Under his care I felt that I should travel
safely and get to X. in the end. Comfort was not to be expected, but
Thompson did all that could be done to mitigate our misery.

We made our start from a platform blocked with piles of officers'
luggage and crowded with confused