. We all have wives or defective retinas
or birthdays previous to 1879, or something that binds us together
unofficially. Our motto from Monday to Friday is, "Soldier and Civilian
too," and in camp at week-ends, "Remember Przemysl." At present we have
no uniforms, to the disgust of our wives; but they are coming. Opinion
is divided as to whether we want them to come. Some say that, clad in
khaki, we shall get admiring glances from the women and envious glances
from the small boys which are not really our due; our proud spirit
rebels against the idea of marching through London in false colours.
James says that, seeing that a soldier is only a soldier, and that he
himself (James) is a special constable from 4 A.M. to 8, a dashed
hard-working solicitor from 9.30 to 5, and a soldier from 5.30 to 7, not
to mention the whole week-end, he jolly well expects all the admiration
he can get; and that, if any small boy cheers him under the impression
that he is only a Territorial, he is doing him a confounded injustice.
Perhaps a tail-coat and khaki breeches would best meet the case.

Then we come to the question of rifles. There are at this moment
thousands of men in the Army who have no rifles. Whole battalions of new
recruits are unarmed. Our battalion is not unarmed; it has a rifle. We
have all seen it; those of us who have been on guard through the cold
dark hours of Saturday-Sunday have even carried it--respectfully, as
becomes a man who thanks Heaven that it is not loaded. Our pride in it
is enormous. Were a sudden night attack by Zeppelins made upon our camp,
the battalion would rally as one man round the old rifle, and fling
boots at the invader until the last pair of ammunition gave out. Then,
spiking the Lee-Enfield, so that it should be useless if it fell into
the hands of the enemy, we should retire barefoot and in good order,
James busily jotting down notes of our last testamentary
dispositions....

But, of course, we know that the invaders will not come yet. Meanwhile
much can be learnt without arms (_cf._ "Infantry Training" _passim_--a
book we all carry in our pockets), and we have the promise of enough
rifles for a company in three weeks. When the last lot of German
prisoners begins to land we shall be ready for them.

We get plenty of encouragement; indeed we feel that the authorities have
a special eye upon us. To give an example. We paraded the other night
and were inspected by a General--tut-tut, a couple of