y'd only come over 'ere I'd get a smack at 'em, spite
of me various veins."

His forced inaction was to Bindle a tragedy of which he seldom spoke;
but when he did it was generally to the point, and more than one man
enlisted as a direct result of Bindle's views on the war.

For "the slacker" he had one question. "You got various veins?" he
would enquire; and on hearing that the man had not, he would say, "Then
yer got to join."

To those who suggested that he himself should enlist, he made only one
reply, "You get me in the army, ole sport, an' I'll give yer anythink I
got. Gawd strike me dead if I won't." And impressed by Bindle's
earnestness, almost without exception, the questioner had the grace to
feel ashamed of himself.

One man had cast some doubt upon the genuineness of Bindle's refusal by
the authorities.

"Come along, then," yelled Bindle in a passion; "come along an' see."
And seizing the astonished man by the arm he marched him round to the
nearest recruiting station, followed by those who had heard the
challenge. Before the sceptic had recovered his self-possession he
found himself a soldier and Bindle once more convicted of "various
veins."

"Well, Ginger," remarked Bindle pleasantly, after the pause that
followed Ruddy Bill's discomfiture, "wot 'ave yer been doin' that yer
can talk about without 'urtin' Sweet William's ears. Any noos?"

"I been an' joined," grumbled Ginger, as if he had committed one of the
Seven Deadly Sins.

"Ginger," said Bindle approvingly, "the next pint yer 'as yer drinks
wi' me, see?" After a pause Bindle continued, "Now yer got to kill
three Germans, Ginger, as a sort of apology for 'avin' three babies.
That'll square things."

"I don't want to kill Germans," growled Ginger.

"Then why did yer do it?" asked Wilkes.

"It's all through that rosy song. Blimey! I get fair sick of it."

Bindle laughed joyously.

"I thought you was goin' to 'ammer the next cove as said it, Ging. Why
didn't yer?" he remarked.

"I couldn't 'ammer the 'ole yard, could I? They used to sing it every
time I come in, so I 'listed."

There was a general laugh at this.

"Well, Ginger, you been an' done the right thing. 'Uggles may laugh,
Wilkes may show that 'e ain't got no teeth, and Bill may pump up dirty
words, but you done right. I wish," he added reflectively, "I 'adn't
various veins. I'd look tasty in khaki a-tryin' to keep 'Uggles from
runnin' away. 'Ow about you, Weary