age. You may laugh at me if you like, but there I sat with dilating
nostrils and eyes, absorbing all I could. Often we passed English girls
in white costumes, and pretty, clean-looking children. It was a real
treat. Of course, they took no notice of us. We were a common and not
altogether pleasing looking lot, many among us being

"Poor fighting men, broke in her wars."

At last the pleasant drive came to its end, and we entered the
Rondebosch camp. I was told off with 25 others to a hut, drew bedding
and blankets--which included bugs--had some tea at a coffee bar, looked
about, and turned in for the night. Alas! that night and others.
Rondebosch boasts of a dry canteen and _another_, where Tommy can obtain
beer, oftentimes called "Glorious Beer," even as we allude to "Glorious
War." Over the sale of this to men, fresh from the hospitals recovering
from enteric, wounds, and so forth, there is no restriction. The result
needs no imagination--copious libations, songs, rows, and vomitings.

The next day I was put on as Orderly Sergeant. Now, if I was
Sergeant-Major and had among my subordinate "non-coms." a man I wished
to get into trouble, I should make him an Orderly Sergeant at
Rondebosch. About every half-hour the bugles went "Orderly Sergeants,"
and up I doubled. In all, I attended about a score of these summonses,
and even then omitted to report a man who had been absent since
_reveille_.

This last sin of omission came about in this way. I was anxious to turn
in early and get a little sleep if possible, but could not do so, as I
had to report "all present and correct" at tattoo. Anyhow, I strolled
down to our hut at nine o'clock and found that the poor gunner alluded
to already was in great pain, writhing about and groaning horribly. One
of his chums who was with him told me he could not find a doctor, and
the chaplain, who had looked in, had said that he could not get him even
a drop of hot water.

The poor fellow was really bad, and thought he was going out, and I
should not have been surprised if he had. Soon a few more chums came in,
somewhat beery, and commenced to buck him up. The great method
apparently on such occasions is to grip the sufferer's hand very
tightly, pull him about a good deal, punch him now and again, and tell
him to bear up. "Stick it, mate! * * * it, you ain't going to * * * well
die! Stick it, mate!" And there he lay, with his pals, fresh from the
canteen, exhorting him to stick i