"Here's to a safe return," said Bailey, when his ginger ale had ceased
to erupt its displeasure at being released from the bottle.

"And here's to an early blighty wound," said Collins.

"Hang it all," said Jones. "Can't you forget it?"

The conversation was bursting out afresh, and fortunately did not
drift into politics or religion; and arguments easily turned to jokes,
and jokes into a fresh onslaught on the chicken and ham.

There are some men who can argue best when armed with a knife and
fork, and a good meal indisputably in their possession. There are
others whose oratorical powers show greater promise when liquid
refreshment is within easy grasp. In others yet again, the soothing
influence of the twisted weed develops extraordinary powers. And
before we arrived at Southampton town station the gift of each had
full play.

We soon found ourselves scrambling amongst the heap of luggage which
had been thrown in confusion on to the platform, and commenced an
anxious search for our kits.

It is always the same at English railway stations, and our cousins
from America and Canada scorn our system, or rather lack of system,
for those who travel with baggage in England have always the
possibility in front of them of a free fight to regain their
possessions.

There seems to be only one thing to do if you are going to travel with
a trunk, and that is either to paint it in rainbow colours, so that it
will stand out in striking contrast to the mountainous heap of baggage
thrown topsyturvy out of the wagon on arrival at a terminus. Or, if
not provided with this forethought of imagination, it is best to
arrive at the starting station some hours ahead of time, and sit down
on the platform and study the peculiarities of your trunk, its
indentations and scratchings, and other characteristics, and
committing all these details securely to your memory, so that when you
arrive at the other end, and you jostle among the crowd gathered
around the baggage-car, you can grab the collar of a porter and
frantically shout: "There it is!" as it tumbles out of the wagon, to
be finally submerged at the extreme bottom of the heap.

Unfortunately, all military kit bags are exactly the same. It is true
you have your name painted on the outside, but so has everybody, and
when fifty or sixty bags come tumbling out, they all look exactly
alike.

That is how it was at Southampton town station, but we were all in
good spirits, thanks to t