the Chateau (p. 184)
and under the beautiful trees on the hillside. Here the different
branches of the service had their offices, and the engineers built for
me a little house of tar paper lined with green canvas, over the door
of which was painted the sign "St. George's Rectory." The C.R.E. also
built me a new St. George's Church on the other side of the road. It
was to be the chef d'oeuvre of his architectural skill, and to be made
as complete and perfect as possible. A compass was brought and the
true east and west found. The material of which the church was to be
built was tar paper and scantling. The roof was to be covered with
corrugated iron. The belfry was to be hung this time with two German
gas bells, which were dignified with the title of a chime of bells.
The windows, filled with oiled linen, were to be pointed after the
manner of Gothic architecture. The church was to be cruciform, with a
vestry on one side balanced by an organ chamber on the other. We had a
nice altar, with the legal ornaments, and an altar rail. We had a
lectern, and the proper number of benches for the congregation. We
even had a font, which was carved out of chalk by the C.R.E.'s batman
and given as an offering to the church. The C.R.E., a most devout and
staunch Presbyterian, was proud of his architectural achievement and
told me that now he had handed over to me a complete church he wished
every service which the Church of England could hold to be celebrated
in it. He said, "In addition to your usual services, I want men to be
baptised, to be married, and to be ordained in that church." When I
protested that possibly no men could be found desiring these offices,
he replied, "The matter is perfectly simple. Like the centurion in the
Bible, I am a man under authority. All I have to do is to call up ten
men and say 'Go and be baptised tomorrow morning in Canon Scott's
Church', and they will go. If they don't, they will be put in the
guard room. Then I will call up ten more men and say, 'Go and be
married in Canon Scott's church.' If they don't, I will put them in
the guardroom. Then I will call up ten more men and say, 'Go and be
ordained in Canon Scott's church'. If they don't, I will put them in
the guard room." All this was said with perfect solemnity. As a matter
of fact, when another division was occupying Chateau d'Acq, a man
really was baptised in the little church. It was used daily for a time
by the Roman Catholic Chaplain.

A