The Yale expositor., 1920-10-21
Author Of 1.-THE Adventures of Sherlock Holmes"

east coast was choked with guns and
horses and stores. On the third OF
June we had our marching orders also,
and on the same day we took ship
from Leith, reaching Ostend the night
after. From there we went on to
place called Bruges, and from there to
Client, where we picked up with the
Fifty-second and the Ninety-fifth,
which were the two regiments that we
were brigaded with. It's wonderful
place for churches and stonework, Is
Client; and; indeed, of oil the towns
we were in there was scarce one but
had finer kirk than any In Glasgow,
From there we pushed on to Ath
which is little village on river, OF
burn rather, called the Bender.
There we were quartered-in tents
mostly, for it was fine, sunny weather
and the whole brigade set TO work
at its drill from morning till evening,
General Adams was our chief and Rey.
nell was our colonel and they were
both fine old soldiers hut what put
heart into us most WINS to think that
was like a bugle call. He was at Brus-
sells with the bulk O: the army. but we
knew that we should see him quick
enough If he were needed.
| had never seen so many English
together, and indeed I had kind OF
contempt for them, as folk always
have II they live near border. But
the two regiments that were with us
now were as good comrades as could
be wished The Fifty-second had a
thousand men i'm the ranks, and there
were many old soldiers OF the PENN
sula among them. They came from
Oxfordshire for the most part. The
Ninety-fifth were rifle regiment, and
had dark-green coats instead of red.
IL was strange to see them loading, for
they would put the ball in greasy
rag and then hammer ii down with
mallet, but they could fire both farther
and straighter than we. All that part
Of Belgium was covered with British
troops at that time, for the Guards
were over near Enghien, and there
were cavalry regiments on the farther
side of us. You see, It was very nee
essary that Wellington should spread
out all his force, for BOney was be-
hind the screen Of his fortresSes, and
of course we had no means of saying
on what side he might pop out, except
that he was pretty sure to come the
way that we least expected him. On
the one side he might get between us
and the sea- and so cut us off from
England; and on the other he might
shove in between the Prussians and
ourselves. But the Duke was as clever
as he. for he had his horse and his
light troops all around him, like a
great spiders web, so that the moment
French foot stepped across the Dor
der he could close up all his men at
the right place.
For myself, 1 was very happy ut
Ath. and I found the folk very kindly
and homely. There was farmer Of
the name of Bots, in whose fields we
were quartered, who was a real good
friend TO many of us. We built him
4 wooden barn among us i'm our spare
time, and many a time | and Jeb Sea-
ton, my rear-rank man. have hung out
his washing. for the smell Of the wet
linen seemed TO take us both straight
home as nothing else could do. have
often wondered whether that good
man and his wife are still living,
though / think It hardly likely, for
they were of a hale middle age at the
time. jim would come with us too
sometimes. and would sit with us
smoking in the big Flemish kitchen.
but he was a different Jim now to the
old one. He had always had hard
touch i'm him. but now his trouble
seemed to have turned him to flint,
and never saw n smile upon his face,
and seldom heard word from his lips.
His whole mind was set on revenging
himself upon De Lissac for having
taken Edie from him, and he would
sit for hours. with his chin upon his
hands, glaring and frOwning, all
wrapped up in the one Idea. This
made him a bit of a butt among the
men at first, and they laughed at him
for it; but when they came to know
him better they found that he was not
good man TO laugh at, and they
dropped it.
CTo BE CoNTINUEDJ