were seated at the
table eating, others wandered restlessly about with food in one hand
and a cup in the other. The tall, thin Lieutenant known as Tweedledum
was pacing thoughtfully to and fro with a pipe in his mouth and his
hands deep in his trousers pockets.

There had been little conversation. When anyone spoke it was in the
dull, emotionless tones of profound fatigue. One, just out of the
circle of candle-light, had pushed his plate from him on the completion
of his meal, and had fallen asleep with his head resting on his
outstretched arms. The remaining faces lit by the yellow candle-light
were drawn, streaked with dirt and ornamented by a twenty-four hours'
growth of stubble. All wore an air of utter weariness, as of men who
had passed through some soul-shaking experience.

The door opened to admit the First Lieutenant. He clumped in hastily,
wearing huge leather sea-boots. Beneath his cap his head was swathed
in the neat folds of bandages whose whiteness contrasted with his
smoke-blackened faced and singed, begrimed uniform.

"Hullo!" he said, "circuits gone here, too?" He peered round the
table. "My word!" he exclaimed. "Hot tea! Who made it? The galley's
a heap of wreckage." He poured himself out a cup and drank thirstily.
"A-A-ah! That's grateful and comforting."

"I made it," said the Paymaster. "With my own fair hands I boiled the
kettle and made tea for you all. Greater love than this has no man."

"Reminds me," said a voice out of the shadows, "that Mouldy got rather
badly cut about the head and lost the best part of his left hand. He
went reeling past me during the action yesterday evening with young
Morton slung over his shoulder: he was staring in front of him like a
man walking in his sleep."

"He was," confirmed the Paymaster. "In the execution of my office as
leading hand of the first-aid party, I gave him chloroform while the
P.M.O. carved bits off him." The speaker rested his head on his hand
and closed his eyes. "Next time we go into action," he continued, as
if speaking to himself, "someone else can take that job on."

"What job?" asked the India-rubber Man, suddenly turning his head and
speaking with his mouth full.

"Fore medical distributing station. I've done a meat-course at
Smithfield market ... slaughter-houses before breakfast, don't you
know? I thought I could stick a good deal----" The Paymaster opened
his eyes suddenly. "I tell you, it was what the sai