every
branch of the service. We drew up a list of each other's qualifications
to throw a sop to modesty, sent in our applications, and waited. At the
same time we adopted a slight tone of hauteur towards those who were not
potential officers.

One night after tea "Ginger" brought in the orders. I had become a
gentleman, and, saying good-bye, I walked down into the village and
reported myself to the officer commanding the Divisional Cyclists. I was
no longer a despatch rider but a very junior subaltern.

I had worked with the others for nearly seven months--with Huggie, who
liked to be frightened; with George the arch scrounger; with Spuggy, who
could sing the rarest songs; with Sadders, who is as brave as any man
alive; with N'Soon, the dashing, of the tender skin; with Fat Boy, who
loves "sustaining" food and dislikes frost; with Grimers and Cecil, best
of artificers; with Potters and Orr and Moulders and the Flapper.

I cannot pay them a more sufficient tribute than the tribute of the
Commander-in-Chief:--

"Carrying despatches and messages at all hours of the day and night, in
every kind of weather, and often traversing bad roads blocked with
transport, they have been conspicuously successful in maintaining an
extraordinary degree of efficiency in the service of communications....
No amount of difficulty or danger has ever checked the energy and ardour
which has distinguished their corps throughout the operations."

FINIS.

PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS.

FOOTNOTES:

[29] I cannot remember the name of the restaurant. Go to the north-east
corner of the Square and turn down a lane to your right. It is the
fourth or fifth house on your right. In Bethune there is also, of
course, the big hotel where generals lunch. If you find the company of
generals a little trying go to the flapper's restaurant.

[30] Company Quartermaster-Sergeant, now a Sergeant-Major.

[Transcriber's Notes:

page 56: Comma changed to period in "La Cateau. A good many"

page 71: "off" changed to "of". "a great meal of lunch"

page 109: "reopend" to "reopened". "reopened with cheers."

page 166: changed "BASSEE" to "BASSEE"

page 207: "that" changed to "than". "worse of surface than the main"

page 213: word "for" inserted into text. "go for walks"

page 246: period added after "Port."

page 261: "distinguised" changed to "distinguished". "to which all
distinguished"]

End of Project Gutenberg's