procession of long evenings and flickering lights.
The first boom of the war fever died down. The Fifteen played
listlessly, Upper followed Upper. Puntabout followed puntabout. No one
cared who was in the side. Foster was left out--and thanked heaven!

"I am about sick of being cursed off my feet, and told I shall be no
good in the trenches because I miss my passes. 'The Bull' has gone
war-mad."

Gordon _had_ to keep in the side; it would not do for the House captain
to get a reputation for slackness. His play lacked its old fire and
dash, but was still good enough to earn him his place. He knew he was
going off; that he was not nearly so good as he had been the year
before; the thought worried him. But still A-K Junior was doing very
well.

One Saturday evening there came the sound of thumping feet down the
passage, someone banged himself against the door, and a well-known voice
was shouting:

"Hullo, Caruthers, my lad!"

Gordon swung round to find Mansell, with out-stretched hand, looking
magnificent in the top-boots and spurs of the R.F.A.

"Come in. Sit down. By Jove! this is like old times. I must call up
Archie! Archie!... Here's someone to see you."

Mansell was just the same as he had been a year ago, a little older, a
little stronger, a little more the man of the world. He was full of
stories; how his men had nearly mutinied because they thought their
separation allowance insufficient; how he had chased deserters half
across England; how he had taken the pretty waitress at the cafe to the
music hall.

"It's life, that's what it is! I never knew what life was till I went to
Bournemouth. Oh, my God, we do have a time! Damned hard work, of course,
but we do have a time in the evenings! My lord, I nearly put my foot in
it the other night. I saw the devil of a smart girl walking down the
street, and I could have sworn I knew her. I went up and said: 'Coming
for a stroll?' O Lord, you should have seen her turn round. I thought
she would fetch a policeman. And we have a jolly good footer side, too.
We fairly smashed the S.W.B. last week. Oh, it's grand. But, still, I
suppose you are not having a bad time here. It's good to see you lads
again."

On the next day Mansell stood an enormous tea in the games study.
Everyone of any importance came. The gramophone played, songs were sung.
Never was there seen so much food before. Mansell seemed like a Greek
god who had for a moment descended to earth to reveal a