he influence of
liquor, anywhere in this ship, and at any hour of the day or night, he
is to be reported at once to the orderly room, even though that officer
should be, say, even the adjutant or yourself?" Barry said, gazing up
at the colonel with a face in which earnestness and candour were equally
blended.

The colonel gazed back at him with a face in which rage and perplexity
were equally apparent. For some moments, he was speechless, while the
whole orderly room held its breath.

"I mean--that you--you understand--of course," stuttered the colonel,
"that an officer must use common sense. He must be damned sure of what
he says, in other words," said the colonel, rushing his speech.

"But, sir," continued Barry.

"Oh, go to the devil, sir," roared the colonel. "The case is dismissed."

Barry saluted and left the room.

"Is the man an infernal and condemned fool, or what is the matter with
him?" exclaimed the colonel, turning to his adjutant in a helpless
appeal, while the orderly room struggled with its grins.

"The devil only knows," said Major Bustead. "He beats me. He is an
interfering and impertinent ass, in my opinion, but what else he is, I
don't know."

It is fair to say that the sergeant major bore the chaplain no grudge
for his part in the affair. The whole battalion, however, soon became
possessed of the tale, adorned and expanded to an unrecognisable extent,
and revelled in ecstasy over the discomfort of the C. O. The consensus
of opinion was that on the whole the sergeant major had come off with
premier honours, and as between the "old man" and the "Sky Pilot," as
Barry was coming to be called, it was about an even break. As for the
Pilot, he remained more than ever a mystery, and on the whole, the
battalion was inclined to leave him alone.

The chaplain, however, had partially, at least, achieved his aim, in
that the regulations governing the canteen were more strictly enforced,
to the vast improvement of discipline generally, and to the immense
advantage of Harry Hobbs in particular.

Soon after this, another event occurred which aided materially in
bringing about this same result, and which also led to a modification of
opinion in the battalion in regard to their chaplain.

To the civilian soldier the punctilio of military etiquette is
frequently not only a bore, but at times takes on the appearance of
wilful insult which no grown man should be expected to tolerate. To the
civilian soldie