31

III. MUD 37

IV. THE SURPRISE ATTACK 43

V. "PONGO" SIMPSON ON BOMBS 51

VI. THE SCHOOLMASTER OF PONT SAVERNE 57

VII. THE ODD JOBS 67

VIII. THE "KNUT" 71

IX. SHOPPING 79

X. THE LIAR 87

XI. THE CITY OF TRAGEDY 93

XII. "PONGO" SIMPSON ON GRUMBLER 105

XIII. THE CONVERT 110

XIV. DAVID AND JONATHAN 114

XV. THE RUM JAR 122

XVI. THE TEA SHOP 128

XVII. "HERE COMES THE GENERAL" 133

XVIII. THE RASCAL IN WAR 137

XIX. "PONGO" SIMPSON ON OFFICERS 141

XX. THE HAND OF SHADOW 146

XXI. THE VETERAN 152

XXII. THE SING-SONG 156

XXIII. THE "STRAFE" THAT FAILED 161

XXIV. THE NIGHTLY ROUND 166

XXV. JOHN WILLIAMS, TRAMP AND SOLDIER 171

XXVI. THE CLEARING HOUSE 178

MUD AND KHAKI

I

IN HOSPITAL

Close behind the trenches on the Ypres salient stands part of "Chapel
Farm"--the rest of it has long been trampled down into the mud by the
many hundreds of men who have passed by there. Enough of the ruin still
stands for you to trace out the original plan of the place--a house and
two barns running round three sides of the farmyard that is foetid and
foul and horrible.

It is an uninviting spot, for, close by, are the remains of a dead cow,
superficially buried long ago by some working party that was in a hurry
to get home; but the farm is notable for the fact that passing round the
north side of the building you are out of view, and safe, and that
passing round the south side you can be seen by the enemy, and are
certain to be sniped.

If you must be sniped, however, you might choose a worse place, for the
bullets generally fly low there, and there is a cellar to which you can
be carried--a filthy spot, abounding in rats, and damp straw, and
stained rags, for the place once acted as a dressing-station. But still,
it is under cover, and intact, with six little steps leading up into the
farmyard.

And one day, as I led a party of men down