with haughty military impatience the civilians so
reluctant to move. He felt as though he had been in the Army for years.
No longer did his uniform cause him the slightest self-consciousness.

At Wimbledon in the dusk the bus was met by several military wagons each
from a different unit, and each anxious to obtain goods. This piece of
organization rather impressed George.

"Well, my boy," said the Major, "you'd better go and report yourself.
You've been a great help to me."

George saluted according to the Major's own doctrine, and departed. At
Battery Headquarters he met Captain Resmith.

"How did you get on with Auntie?" asked Resmith in his loud, firm voice.

George winked.

Resmith gave a scarcely perceptible smile.

"Look here," he said. "I'm just going round the horse-lines. If you'll
come with me I'll show you a thing or two, and we can choose a mount for
you. Then after dinner if you like I'll take you through the orders for
to-morrow. By the way, there's a telegram for you."

The telegram read:

"Girl. Everything fairly satisfactory. Don't worry too much. Laurencine
sleeps here.--NUNKS"

The telegram was entirely characteristic of his stepfather--curt, exact,
realistic, kind.

He thought:

"Three girls, by Jove!"

V

The early sun, carrying into autumn the tradition of a magnificent
summer, shone on the artillery camps. The four guns of the No. 2 Battery
of the Second Brigade were ranged side by side in the vast vague space
in front of the officers' hutments. Each gun had six horses in three
pairs, and a rider for each pair. On the guns and the gun-teams
everything glittered that could glitter--leather, metal, coats of
horses, faces of men. Captain Resmith rode round, examining harness and
equipment with a microscope that he called his eye. George rode round
after him. Sometimes Captain Resmith spoke to a N.C.O., sometimes even
to a man, but for the most part the men stared straight in front of them
into eternity. Major Craim trotted up. Captain Resmith approached the
Major and saluted, saying in his best military voice:

"The Battery is all correct and ready to move off, sir."

The Major in his drawing-room voice replied:

"Thank you, Captain Resmith."

Silence reigned in No. 2 Battery, except for the faint jingling
restlessness of the horses.

Then Colonel Hullocher and his Adjutant pranced into sight. The Adjutant
saluted the Major and made an inquiry. The Major saluted, and all