FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77  
78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   >>   >|  
as made from biscuits ground to powder, boiled and then mixed with jam. Never was anything like it. We lingered over the dish loud in our praise of the energetic Stoner. "By God, I'll give you a job as head-cook in my establishment at your own salary," said Pryor. "Strike me ginger, pink, and crimson if ever I ate anything like it," exclaimed Bill. (p. 126) "We must 'ave a bit of this at every meal from now till the end of the war." Coffee, wine, and cigars came in due course, then Section 3 clamoured for an address. "Ool give it?" asked Bill. "Pat," said Mervin. "Come on Pat," chorused Section 3. I never made a speech in my life, but I felt that this was the moment to do something. I got to my feet. "Boys," I said, "it is a pleasure to rise and address you, although you haven't shaved for days, and your faces remind me every time I look at them of our rather sooty mess-tins." (Bill: "Wot of yer own phiz.") "Be quiet, Bill," I said, and continued. "Of course, none of you are to blame for the adhesive qualities of mud, it must stick somewhere, and doubtless it preferred your faces; but you should have shaved; the two hairs on Pryor's upper lip are becoming very prominent." "Under a microscope," said Mervin. "Hold your tongue," I shouted, and Mervin made a mock apology. "To-night's dinner was a grand success," I said, "all did their work (p. 127) admirably." "All but you," muttered Bill, "yer spent 'arf the time writin' when yer should have been peelin' taters or pullin' onions." "I resent the imputation of the gentleman at the rear," I said, "if I wasn't peeling potatoes and grinding biscuits I was engaged in chronicling the doings of Section 3. I can't make you fat and famous at the same time, much though I'd like to do both. You are an estimable body of men; Goliath, the big elephant-- (Goliath: "Just a baby elephant, Pat.") "Mervin, who has travelled far and who loves bully stew; Pryor who dislikes girls with thick ankles, Kore who makes wash-out puns, Bill who has an insatiable desire for fresh eggs, and Stoner--I see a blush on his cheeks and a sparkle in his brown eyes already--I repeat the name Stoner with reverence. I look on the mess-tins which held the confiture and almost weep--because it's all eaten. There's only one thing to be done. Gentlemen, are your glasses charged?" "There's nothin' now but water," said Bill. "Water shame," remarked the punster. "Hold y
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77  
78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Mervin

 

Section

 

Stoner

 

shaved

 

address

 
Goliath
 

biscuits

 

elephant

 

estimable

 
peelin

taters

 
pullin
 

writin

 

admirably

 

muttered

 

onions

 

resent

 

doings

 

chronicling

 

famous


engaged

 

grinding

 

gentleman

 

imputation

 

peeling

 

potatoes

 

confiture

 

repeat

 

reverence

 

remarked


punster

 
nothin
 

Gentlemen

 

glasses

 

charged

 
dislikes
 

ankles

 

travelled

 

cheeks

 

sparkle


insatiable

 

desire

 

Coffee

 

exclaimed

 

cigars

 

speech

 
chorused
 

clamoured

 

crimson

 

lingered