The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-29
A War Office Secret


shoot under such-weIl. perhaps not you,
for you never know what you can't do IN
til you try. Do know the School Of Mus
kerry? l do know it--lock, stock, barrel
and cleaning rod. or. should say, in these
Lee-Metfo1i days. clearing rod, for the
cleaning rods as dead as Queen Anne or
the pigtaiis for which the Welsh Fusiliers
still wear the flash though the powder
and pomatum from which the fash pro-
tected the coatee has been gone for the
best part of a century.
Now. you alt know why foreign military
attaches are in England. They are here to
see the rights of all improvements In the
army-in men. in tools. in the handling of
either. They notice new explosive or a
new drill movement. and II the Horse
Guards gase me commission 1 reckon
they would aotice that, and would tell their
respective war offices that they had better
look out now. Our military attaches are
abroad for the same purpose. They're
Just spies in peace times. Why, 1 resIem-
Der when cordite came out how one Of the
Continental war offices sent gunner Off
GER over here-they said to learn English.
know the man at Woolwich who gave him
the cordite. and how much he got Of it. 1
know the Englishman who found the man
at Woolwich who would do the job. 1
know how much more be got for it. But
would / breathe the name OF that CONT
mental power to make international COM
MI Not mn T
due to my country. All which leads up to
this When l was at Hythe qualifying for
two guns and a crown over my three
stripes there was great mystery about
the Maxim; in fact. we who were under
going instruction as instructors were
The Instructor of the Hythe staff used al
ways to take that out Of the gun and hold
it behind him while he explained the 9TH
or parts. And that was what made me Gu
rious to see the block. was working very
hard in the evenings; yet for my health's
sake | had to walk now and then into
Folkestone and along the Leas. And there
met young foreign person. who told me
she was a lady's maid. How did l make
her acquaintance? II you don't srow a
simple little thing like that you ought to.
We learn in the army the art OF mixing
gracefully in female society. And the
young foreign person, who spoke English
beautifully, said to me one evening. as We
were sitting in quiet spot away from 9TH
er people and from gas lamps:
L do love to hear about all that con 1er1s
you. Tell me all about what you do at the
School of Musketry.
"'Oh, it's all very simple, MaIn-zeli,'
said l. Then just to show her what clev-
er fellow 1 was. began TO give her full
account of all the difficult things We had to
do. And, of course, among other things.
spoke of the machine guns.
Those are the horrid things that go
crl:-crk-crk-crk, are they not% asked she,
as she initiated perfectly the venomous spit
of the beasts.
That's IT.
Tell me about them. think they are
wonderfully interesting. How well edu a
Ted soldier has to be nowadays to under
stand such things!'
It's quite true that first class ee:tih-
cate of education, which a sergeant is
now bound to have. is not got for the ask
ing Then I went on to tell her the me-
chanism of the Maxim.
But the funniest thing about it all is
that they won't let US see the works Of the
block, although we are to qualify for mus
hetry instructors.
And of the most important part OF the
gun yoc know nothing?'
I haze a general idea
"a nan who is as clever as you In me-
chanics end mathematics ought to know all
about It. l should be curious to know, If
were you
81 could easily find out all about 1t II
cared to take the trouble
Trouble, What is trouble to scien-
tific man? II l were you l should think
nothing OF any little trouble. Now, viii
spur you for your own good and to advance
YOU in the service. / am curious, for your
sake, to know about this gun. I'll bet you
what you like you don't explain tire me-
chanism CT the block to me within a
month Your explanations make even dry
old figures interesting
"'And l can name the stakes?'
Certainly
"a kiss, then
81 can't bet you that
"'But was to Fame the stakes
"'Oh, couldn't think of itSdj
There's 10 need for you to think Of It,
Mam'selle. You've only to do it. / have
your word, you know. II you are honor
able
'Sir!'
Then the bet is OFF,
No. l gave you my word. 1t ID an
noying But l will keep my word
And 1 can give you my word that
shall win. So, perhaps, in case you change
your mind, had better have the kiss now
1.-THE rest of the evening has nothing TO
DO with the story.
Now, l had been working hard at the
mechanics of guns before I went to the
School Of Musketry, SO that I might do
we'll And l had natural taste for such
things in the blood, probably because my
aunt married smith. to whom l was TO
have been bound apprentice, only l would
none of him and his smithy. So you only
had to show me the cocoanut in sunnery
mechanics and / tumbled TO what kind of
milk was inside. The next Maxim day we
were gathered round the instructor, who
was Keeling out his Maxim yarn. He had
taken out the 'lock, and was holding 1t in
his fingers behind his back. had my note
book in my hand, and l slipped behind him.
In a very few moments l had a sketch OF
all that appeared on the surface. and
very good idea of what was beneath it.
That evening l was sitting among lot
of other men who we're swotting for the
exam. had a sheet of foolscap and was
busy making sketch Of the action in India
ink.
Halo, young man, said the instructor,
who had been looking over my shoulder
to me, what have you got
there?'
You ought to know as well as II not
better than 1, sergeant instructor
u do know. But where did you get it?'
That's my business
"'Well, you must give it up. ,,
"'Oh. no. l shan't.'
But you must
{" It's mine. and you can't take it away
from me-
Wen see what Lieutenant Brown says
a. out