The sun., 1919-02-23

don't finger your sword like that" he says.
He stands US at ease and 'shuns'
us and stands US at ease again
= da capo da capo :.
da capo.
The orderly officer arrives. He has n
sword which he draws in a deprecating
way. We are stunned and the ordeal
begins.
l am glad that a few weeks in the army
has taught me not to want too irresistibly
to smile on these occasions, But there is
something amazingly comic about it. Mrs
Jarley's waxworks! Our cap badgf, our
caps, our white bands. Our jacket col
lars-are they properly stiffened! 1--WE
wear jackets and not tunics, pleascsnote,
and we stiffen the collars of them Our
lanyards, our buttons-every button! Our
belts-and the jacket is lifted to see that
the belt makes no false show. Our gloves,
our breeches, our puttees, our boots. l
trust he has noticed that our faces are
clean, but sometimes 1 feel they don't
worry so much about that. Though if
the board school question came, "And have.
you washed behind your ears?' 1 should
never be surprised.
He is passing at the back of us now He
y overlooked me and my neighbor most cur
sorily-Picket will not get off; that's
clear. Spurs are the immediate test, can
feel that-and he's pausing there on the
right, pausing rather long Its near
thing between two of them ThenE-'Lift
your feet up" hear him say "rhat'll
do" Then Lift your feet mp" again.
He is looking at the backing on the in
steps of their boots! 1t is a near thing.
Then 1.-TWO PAGES to the rear: March"
Which of the immaculates il is | cannot
see.
The sergeant marches us off and there
is the outgoing guard TO face us as we
halt, looking as if they cared not a damn
about being relieved. Their bombardier
says TO our bombardier "Since taking over
this guard nothing unusual has occurred"
He says it most solemly. Then we set TO
partners, and the old guard marches off.
go to the stables, which are quoting
down now for the night Half dozen
horses are sick. Poor beasts; they have
no understanding Of it at all, and they
turn you such a questioning eye. Have
yOu done this thing TO them-you, who do
everything?
Cant you cure me at once, can't you
bride and bit what's wrong and drive it
awayf If you can't, oh, do leave me
alone"
One of them has-is it stranglesl "The
animal displays tendency to lie down
and must not be permitted to do so or
in his struggles serious injury nay re-
suit" says the text book. A stableman
stood by to prevent him lying down and
swore at him, not unkindly, th4 while.
Other things were praetised on hum, too,
which | noted, and in consequence did
very well with "strangles" in thy horse
management examination a wecl later.
"It's an i'll wind"-
AIS quiet at last, except for tie click
ing of hoofs and the rafting of chains.
The stable bars are up-doors TO be left
open though-through this summer night.
fall to trying how slowly l can pace my
rounds; how can vary the going of them
l begin TO regret Bullock's boots, since
the splendor of them has awaited nothing,
and my feet ached enough with a days
barrack tramping to start with. Never
mind, we are beating the Germans, / am
beating the Germans. l am beating them
by pacing these stables this summer even
ing in a heavy cap and stiff co lar and
Bullock's boots. And it is only tuus that
they can be beaten, only through this that
the world can be free again. Whereat I
am content and would God knqws) be
more content with more discomfort, with
some real sacrifice. But TO that test we
bring it all-the use of these seeming use
less things; the hither and thithe9and up