was
retailing the Colonel's latest sayings and doings. And we, needless to
say, were never happier than when listening to him on this most
interesting topic! Roake and Humfrey with little "Darky," who was their
invariable companion, were always welcome.

It was at this time that news came across that a son and heir had been
born to Colonel Best-Dunkley. The event was one of considerable
interest, and was widely discussed. "Poor little ----! To think that
there's another Best-Dunkley in the world to look forward to!" exclaimed
our humorous friend when he heard the news. "Well, when he grows up he
will always have the gratification of knowing that his father was a
colonel in the Great War!" mused Captain Andrews in a tone which
suggested that he had a presentiment that Colonel Best-Dunkley would not
survive the coming push. And, somehow--though nobody ever anticipated
for a moment that he would win the V.C.--we all discussed the
probability of his falling, and always thought that the odds were in
favour of his falling. And to be perfectly frank (my object in writing
this book is to tell the truth), nobody regretted the probability! If we
had really known what kind of a man he was, if we had been able then to
fathom beneath the forbidding externals, we might have felt very
differently about it. But it is not given to man to know the future or
even to discern the heart of his most intimate acquaintance! We only saw
in him a man who was as unscrupulous as his prototype Napoleon in all
matters which affected his own personal ambition, the petty tyrant of
the parade ground, who could occasionally be very agreeable, but of whom
all were afraid or suspicious, because none knew when his mood would
change. In a few days this man was going to give everybody who knew him
the surprise of their lives. Had he any presentiment or intention as to
the future himself? I think he had both intention and presentiment.
Throughout the whole summer of 1917 his whole heart and soul were
absorbed in preparation for the coming push; never did a man give his
mind more completely, unstintingly, and whole-heartedly to a project
than Best-Dunkley did to the Ypres offensive which was to have carried
us to the Gravenstafel Ridge, then on to the Paschendaele Ridge, into
Roulers and across the plains of Belgium. He was determined to associate
his name indelibly with the field of Ypres; he was determined to win the
highest possible decoration on July 31: h