He knows we are here all right," said the major, "but he would not let
on if it were King George himself. I'll bet you a month's pay, though,
that we can't get one foot beyond what he considers the saluting point
before he comes to attention, and as for his salute, there is nothing
like it in the whole Canadian army. Talk about a poem, his salute has
Shakespeare faded. Now he's going to move them off. Watch and listen!"

"Ye-a-ou-w!" came the long-drawn cry, fiercely threatening, representing
in English speech the word "squad." Then followed an expletive, "Yun!"
which for explosive quality made a rifle crack seem a drawl, and which
appeared to release in the men a hidden spring drawn to its utmost
tension. The slack and sagging line leaped into a rigid unit, of
breathless, motionless humanity.

"Aw-e-ou-aw!" a prolonged vocalisation, expressive of an infinite and
gentle pity, and interpreted to the initiated ear to mean "As you were!"
released the rigid line to its former sagging state.

"N-a-w then," said the voice in a semi-undertone, slow and tense, "this
ain't no arter dinner bloomin' siester. A little snap--ple--ease!" The
last word in a sharply rising inflection, tightening up the spring
again for the explosive "Ye-a-ou-w--yun!" (Squad attention.)
"Aw-e-ou-r--yun!!! Aw-e-ou-r--yun!!!"

Without warning came the commands, repeating "As you were!" "Attention!"
He walked up and down before the rigid line, looking them over and
remarking casually,

"Might be a little worse," adding as an afterthought, "per-haps!" After
which, with a sharp right turn, and a quick march, he himself
leading with a step of clean-cut, easy grace, he moved them to the
bayonet-fighting ground.

"By Jove!" breathed Barry. "Did you ever imagine anything like that?"

"The result of ten years in the regular army," said the major.

"It's almost worth it," answered Barry.

Arriving at the bayonet-fighting ground, the little sergeant major
put the squad through their manual as if they had been recruits, to
a running comment of biting pleasantries. After bringing them to
attention, he walked slowly down the line, then back again, and remarked
after due deliberation:

"I have seen worse--not often--" Then, in a tone of resignation, he gave
the order:

"Stan-a-yeh!!!"

The men "stood at ease," and then "stood easy."

"Now, then," said the major, "we'll steal in on him, if we can." They
moved forward toward the little sergeant major, who