rful
thing too."

"Yes, yes, Pond! But my point is that in all these five years _we_ have
not yet lost a single man."

"Good Lord!" exclaimed Captain Pond, after a moment's thought. "How do
you account for it?"

Professionally the Doctor was the most modest of men. "I do not seek to
account for it," said he. "I only know that you, my old friend, well
deserve the distinction which you have characteristically overlooked--that
of commanding the most remarkable company in the Duchy; nay, I will
venture to say, in the whole of England."

They had reached the brow of the hill overlooking the town. Captain Pond
halted and gazed for a moment on the veil of smoke above the peaceful
chimneys, then into the sunset fading far down the Channel. A sudden
moisture clouded his gaze, but in the moisture quivered a new-born light
of pride.

Yes, it was true. He--he in five years' command--had never lost a man!

The discovery elated and yet humbled him. His was a simple soul, and took
its responsibilities seriously. He sought not to inquire for what high
purpose Providence had so signally intervened to stave off from the East
and West Looe Artillery the doom of common men. He only prayed to be
equal to it. The Doctor's statistics had, in fact, scared him a little.
I am positive that he never boasted.

And yet--I will say this for the credit of us Cornishmen, that we rejoice
one in another's good fortune. Captain Pond might walk humbly and
'touch wood' to avert Nemesis: he could not prevent the whisper spreading,
nor, as it spread, could he silence the congratulations of his
fellow-townsmen. 'One and All' is our motto, and Looe quickly made
Captain Pond's singular distinction its own--

_There's Horse, there's Foot, there's Artiller-y,
Yet none comes up with Looe;
For the rest of the Army never says die,
But our chaps never_ do!

You may realise something of the public enthusiasm when I tell you that it
gave an entirely new trend to the small-talk on the Town Quay.
Hitherto, the male population which resorted there had admitted but four
subjects as worthy of sensible men's discussion--the weather, the shipping
intelligence, religion, and politics: but in a few days the health of the
'Die-hards' took precedence of all these, and even threatened to
monopolise public gossip. Captain Pond, as the first reward of notoriety,
found himself severely criticised for having at the outset enlisted a