t. He is
really an impossible young man, and is far better out of this country
than in it. If he remained here, there would be some sort of a tragedy
for certain.

I must say that it was with a feeling of considerable relief that I saw
the yacht steam out of the creek, with Captain Desmond on the bridge and
my cousin beside him.

Quite other were my feelings when, an hour after, _The Lady_ came flying
into the creek with the Lord High Admiral on the bridge, and beside him,
more splendid and soldier-like than ever, Sir Colin MacKelpie. Mr.
Bingham Trent was also on the bridge.

The General was full of enthusiasm regarding his regiment, for in all,
those he brought with him and those finishing their training at home, the
force is near the number of a full regiment. When we were alone he
explained to me that all was arranged regarding the non-commissioned
officers, but that he had held over the question of officers until we
should have had a suitable opportunity of talking the matter over
together. He explained to me his reasons, which were certainly simple
and cogent. Officers, according to him, are a different class, and
accustomed to a different standard altogether of life and living, of
duties and pleasures. They are harder to deal with and more difficult to
obtain. "There was no use," he said, "in getting a lot of failures, with
old-crusted ways of their own importance. We must have young men for our
purpose--that is, men not old, but with some experience--men, of course,
who know how to behave themselves, or else, from what little I have seen
of the Blue Mountaineers, they wouldn't last long here if they went on as
some of them do elsewhere. I shall start things here as you wish me to,
for I am here, my dear boy, to stay with you and Janet, and we shall, if
it be given to us by the Almighty, help to build up together a new
'nation'--an ally of Britain, who will stand at least as an outpost of
our own nation, and a guardian of our eastern road. When things are
organized here on the military side, and are going strong, I shall, if
you can spare me, run back to London for a few weeks. Whilst I am there
I shall pick up a lot of the sort of officers we want. I know that there
are loads of them to be had. I shall go slowly, however, and carefully,
too, and every man I bring back will be recommended to me by some old
soldier whom I know, and who knows the man he recommends, and has seen
him work. We shall