Norwich bulletin., 1918-08-10
A LITTLE PET

worked fair treat an t other lads fired rapid manful. Fritz, he soon had enow an went a'gollopin' fr Ser in-some on 'em. T. rest couldn'. so we went on agin, an 1 took t little teddy oot O t pack where she'd been a-scrichin' terrible duTin' t firin, an she goed asleep in my arms wonnerful contented Nothin' more happened that arternoon'-he saw me looking puzzled, and added, "Yew see,. sir, we was that awearied we slep rayther late f t mornin',' and then went on:
 T seed a main O. Boches away ahid on us about six o'clock, so we struck off t road ontil we coon to a little oWd lane a-leading westerly. Coon t neeght, we found bit village an slep there. .1. I reckn I d better say nowt aboot t supper, had I sir?"
 Perhaps not.' I replied; But I've no doubt you ver-ate yourselves.
 T doubt we did, sir" said Manning; t little pet, who'd had nowt but her ration O milk-a drop O Nestle's An foond in t estaminet She didn' seem t banker arter t bit O chich'n l give her: went t sleep astead, she did. So when she wook me oop wi her scrichin' in t middle O t neeght, reck ned she must be hungry, an got cop t give her a sup O suthlrn to eat Lordamussy, will yew believe it, there was a gret Boche a-standin' at t door. An doobt he didn' know if I weren Boehe myself, but I reckn 1 soon larnt him when I let cot hoIler to wekzen t other lads in t nex' room. Then he hollered too, an I hard his pals holler back from t road. reck.n wor a bit scared like then, an oouk1ns see no more, fir t moon went ahirsd cIood. I hadn' got ma goon, neither, an I misremembered where 1 t was in t dark. Sarchin' fir 1t, my hand hit t little un, an she set up l scrichin' louderer 'an ever. Then t 1 Boche an I started playin' touch l round that owd room-me a-lookin' fr t goon an him fir me, an all t whiles [ scrichin' goin' on suthun l terrible I reck'n t Boche must ha' l follered t scrichin' fust of all, an he i foond t poor little pet jest as one O his pals coon along with torch. Then I seed un catch her oop in s I hand an throw her doom an tread on i her. An seed, ma goon too, an 1 reck'n he didn' live long ,arter, t black hearted villain. I wor that mad I cd ha' killed un wi'oot ma goon. Then t other lads coon along. an we had t purtiest scrap ever yew did see a-gettin oot O that ere hoose-them there thingummies were fair treat wit bay nit
 Well, I doobt there ain't nothin
 more to tell yew, sir" he went or
 after a pause to relight his pipe, which
 had gone out during the story. "Ar- rewards we coon along peaceful
 seein' nowt bu: a stray Boche here an
 there, till we happened on t Frenchies
 t day afore yesterday. They give U:
 a good feed. a wash an a sleep, an
 here An be. sir"
 But what happened to your fv,
 pads ?'' I asked.
 ''They coon along O me in t wan
 an went on t their own hoams, reck'n,' said Manning.
 DO you know what units they be
 longed to?" inquired. And wha were their names?"
 T doan't know t units, sir" sait
 Manning; but I reck'n we calle them two thingummies Chink an Wink. I doobt they worn't t righ
 names, somehow. though. An t othe
 lads, let me see, now," he went or : taking off his cap and scratching hi , head thoughtfully. There was Bill
 him what'd lost his wan An t tw
 artilleries; blast it if one O then
 worn't Bill too an t otherun mebbe i
 were Sandy an mebbe it were Andr Fl can't rightly remember. He wor o Scotch. anyway. But t kitter
 called ner Emily, arter my owd 'oo c man. Westminster Gazette.