or their
misery.

At length the "brass hat" for whom they had been waiting appeared
upon the scene, not in the slightest degree apologetic, but very
businesslike, and with a highly emphasised military manner. After a
little conversation between the brass hat and their Commanding Officer,
the latter gave the command and off they set in the darkness for their
first route march on English soil.

Through muddy roads and lanes, over fields, slushy and sodden, up hill
and down dale, they plodded steadily along. At the rear of the column
marched Barry with the M. O.

Long before they reached their destination, their conversation had given
out, the M. O. sucking sullenly at his pipe, the bowl upside down. The
rear end of the column was very frayed and straggling. Why it is that a
perfectly fit company will invariably fray out if placed at the rear
of a marching column, no military expert has quite succeeded in
satisfactorily explaining.

As he tramped along in the dark by the side of the road, the M. O.
stumbled over a soldier sitting upon the soggy bank.

"Who are you?" he inquired shortly.

"Corporal Thom, sir."

"What's the matter with you?"

"I'm all in, sir. I've been sick all day, sir."

"Why didn't you report sick, then? Can't you get on?"

"I don't think so, sir. Not for a while, at least."

"Have you any pain, any nausea?"

"No, sir, I'm just all in."

"Do you know our route?"

"Yes, sir, I've got the turns down."

"Well, come along then when you can. I'll send back a waggon later, but
don't wait for that."

"Yes, sir," said Corporal Thom.

"Come on, Dunbar! We'll send a waggon back for these stragglers. There
will be a good many of them before long."

"You go on, doc. I'll come later," said Barry. "I'll catch up to you."

But the M. O., at the various halts, waited in vain for the chaplain to
appear.

On arriving at the camp, after a long struggle, he succeeded in sending
back an Army Service waggon to bring in the stragglers, but just as the
waggon was about to leave, he heard coming up the road, a party stepping
out briskly to the music of their own whistling. In the rear of the
party marched the chaplain, laden down with one man's rifle and another
man's kit-bag.

"They're all here, sir," said Corporal Thom to the M. O., with a
distinct note of triumph in his voice. "All here, sir," he repeated, as
he observed the sergeant major standing at the doctor's side.

"Well done, corporal," s