his pipe, and began to impart some
interesting bits of news.

"Things are moving rather swiftly with us these days. There are many
changes taking place. Duff has gone permanently to the transport, and is
in the way for a captaincy. Hopeton has gone for a machine gun course.
Sally is to be company commander in his place. Booth takes charge of the
bombers. Your friend, Sergeant Knight, is slated for a commission. He
is doing awfully well with the signallers, and, by the way, there is
something I want to show you to-morrow, something quite unique and
remarkable, our new instructor in bayonet fighting. Do you know we were
rather stuck on our bayonet fighting, but he has made the boys feel that
they didn't know anything about bayonet fighting, or, for that matter,
about anything else. I think you will enjoy him. The boys are all up on
their toes. There is nothing like the scream of a live shell 'coming in'
to speed up the training."

When the major had departed, he left Barry in a maze of wonder and
gratitude. That the battalion were glad to have him back, that all the
old feeling of latent hostility of which he had been conscious was gone,
and that they felt that they really needed him stirred in his heart a
profound sense of humility and gratitude.

Late as it was he felt he must go out for a stroll about the camp just
to see the men and give them greeting.

Wherever he went he was greeted with a new respect and a new cordiality.
It was as if he had passed through some mystic initiation ceremony and
had been admitted into a magic circle of comradeship with the common
soldier, than which no privilege is more dearly coveted by the officers,
from the colonel himself to the youngest sub, and which is indeed, in
the last analysis, the sine qua non of effective leadership.

As Barry was passing the sergeants' mess-room the door opened and there
came out Sergeant Major McFetteridge himself, with two others of the
mess.

"Good evening, sergeant major," said Barry quietly passing on his way.

"Good evening, sir," said the sergeant major with his usual stiff
salute. "Oh, it's you, sir," he cried as the light fell upon Barry's
face. "We're glad to see you back, sir."

"Thank you, sergeant major," replied Barry, offering his hand, "and I'm
glad to be back with you all again."

"Thank you, sir. I assure you we're glad to have you. Won't you come
in, sir? The boys will all want to see you," and so saying the sergeant
major th