when Gordon's extraordinary commands would form his platoon into an
impossible rabble that could only be extricated by the ungrammatical
but effective command that School House section commanders had used from
the first day of militarism: "As you did ought."

Those days were over. No mistakes. For thirty-five minutes every Monday,
Wednesday and Friday the School House platoon would move round the
courts in lifeless and perfect formation. And by now the School had
begun to suspect that the field days were conducted mainly to satisfy
Rogers's inordinate conceit. His house had always the advantage. The
limit of endurance was reached one day early in November, when Rogers
took his house out to defend Babylon Hill against the rest of the corps.

The attack was really rather brilliant. Babylon Hill overlooks the
country for miles. There was a splendid field of fire. It was a boiling
hot day. Rogers's men lay happily on the hill firing spasmodically at
khaki figures crawling up the long valley. Their position seemed
impregnable.

Early in the proceedings, however, Ferrers, who was conducting the
attack, sent Betteridge with the School House platoon on an enormous
detour to bring in a flank attack. If successful the School House
platoon would be quite sufficient to wipe out the defence, and Rogers
would never notice their loss, as they were sent off at a moment when
the attack was crossing some dead ground.

Forlorn hopes occasionally come off, and, by a fluke, at the very moment
when the attack surged over the crest of the hill, Betteridge's
exhausted platoon, with shouts and cheers, burst into Rogers's flank.
There was not the slightest doubt that the defence had been cut to
pieces.

For a minute or two Rogers looked perplexed at the sea of enemies. Then
with customary urbanity he told Ferrers to form up his men and seat them
on the ground, while he gave his impression of the day's work.

"I think the attack was quite satisfactory. Of course, it stood little
chance against the well-organised defence for which I myself was in a
way responsible. I believe most of the forces would have been destroyed
coming up the hill. But I think the day had a good effect on the morale
of the troops. Now morale----" He enlarged on the qualities of morale
and discipline for about ten minutes, and concluded with the following
courteous reference to the School House flanking movement:--

"I could not clearly discern what those persons wer