ery pluckily decided that the Labour Company were to have
no rest, and were just to be content with nibbling a light lunch
while they went on with their work.

Barefoot, who had got up at six and was very hungry, approached the
colonel in fear and trembling.

"May I leave my sergeant in charge for half an hour, sir?" he asked.
"He can do everything as well as I can. I should like just to run
along to the nearest cafe and have something warm to eat."

Musgrave gazed at him in mournful astonishment.

"Really," he said, "you young fellows don't seem to realize that
there's a war on." Whereupon he stepped into his car and drove off to
the hotel.

* * * * *

Barefoot, somewhat downcast, buttonholed the interpreter, who was
father-confessor to all Englishmen in distress. Aurelle begged him
not to get excited.

"You are always talking about introducing your business methods into
the army. As if that were possible! Why, the objects of the two
things are entirely different. A business man is always looking
for work; an officer is always trying to avoid it. If you neglect
these principles, I can foresee an ignominious end in store for you,
Barefoot, and Colonel Musgrave will trample on your corpse."

Now the thirty thousand Portuguese had been fed during their long
voyage on tinned food; and as the transports' holds were being
cleared, innumerable empty tins began to accumulate on the wharves.
Barefoot and his men were ordered to gather these tins together into
regular heaps. These grew so rapidly that the Mayor of the town was
exceedingly concerned to see such a waste of space in a harbour
already filled to bursting-point, and sent a pointed letter to
Colonel Musgrave, asking him to find some other place for his empty
tins.

Colonel Musgrave ordered his interpreter to write an equally pointed
letter, reminding the Mayor of B---- that the removal of refuse was a
municipal concern, and that the British Army was therefore waiting
for the Town to hand over a plot of ground for the purpose.

Barefoot happened to speak of this difficulty one day to the business
man at whose house he was billeted; and the latter told him that a
process had recently been discovered by which old tins could be
melted down and used again, and that a company had been floated to
work out the scheme; they would be sure to purchase Colonel
Musgrave's tins.

The enthusiastic Barefoot began to see visions of profitable and
glorious enterpri