FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31  
32   33   34   35   36   37   38   >>  
l terms. He then turned to the officer he was addressing and politely offered him the kind of delicacy he thought would blend best with the matter in hand. And then Chockchaw arrived. It began by letting the G.S.O.3 down badly the first day. All unsuspicious of its properties he rang up a Division, popped a piece into his mouth and waited. In due time the call came through, but no word could he utter. "Chockchaw lockjaw" had set in. Only a horrible sound like the squelching of ten gum-boots in the mud reached the indignant Staff at the other end. After a minute's monologue they rang off in disgust. Yet in spite of all difficulties the vogue of Chockchaw swept through the Corps. It is such a ripe, rich, full-flavoured irresistible concoction. Disadvantages there are, of course, but, on the other hand, if you want to be quiet, it is easy to lure the unsuspecting intruder on to Chockchaw and leave it at that. After vain efforts the poor fellow usually creeps away like a cat with too big a bone and chews himself back to speech round the corner. He seldom returns, and if he does--there is always more Chockchaw. Should he refuse it this time you can take a piece yourself and save the trouble of answering, anyway. Chockchaw entailed more perilous chances than at first appeared probable. Indeed at one time it looked like seriously impeding the course of final victory. On a certain brown November day the G.S.O.2 suddenly jumped up from his chair, ran to the Canteen cupboard, popped a piece of Chockchaw into his mouth (because he had a difficult March Table to make out and needed sustenance) and fell to work whistling like an ordinary human being (who cannot whistle). I.O. (not the gadfly, but the Intelligence Officer) dropped in with his usual list of suspected hostile emplacements. He took Chockchaw in case he was asked pertinent questions. He has to be _so_ careful what he gives away unofficially. He knows so _much_. Germans try to steal his summaries to find out what their own intentions really are. The A.D.C. dropped in for his usual morning chat and Chockchaw. The Staff Officer R.A. (S.O.R.A.), that inveterate sweet-guzzler, also dropped in. "Hullo, what are you fellows munching?" asked the General, coming in muddied all over. "Give me a bit; I've had no breakfast. What's the news, Intelligence?" (No answer) "Is that Move Order done, by the way?" (No answer.) "Why, what the--Good Lord, I'm _stuck_! What stuff is
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31  
32   33   34   35   36   37   38   >>  



Top keywords:

Chockchaw

 

dropped

 
answer
 
Officer
 
popped
 

Intelligence

 

impeding

 

victory

 

whistle

 

gadfly


looked

 

Indeed

 

difficult

 

cupboard

 

jumped

 
Canteen
 

needed

 
ordinary
 

November

 
sustenance

suddenly

 

whistling

 
muddied
 

coming

 

General

 

guzzler

 

fellows

 

munching

 

breakfast

 

inveterate


careful

 
unofficially
 

questions

 

emplacements

 

hostile

 

pertinent

 

Germans

 

morning

 

intentions

 

summaries


probable

 

suspected

 

lockjaw

 

horrible

 

waited

 

squelching

 
monologue
 
minute
 
disgust
 

indignant