with the number of men to
go in it and the name of the unit to which they belonged. The windows
of every compartment of the passenger coaches bore the names of four
officers. A fool could have been in no doubt about where he had to
go. The fussiest traveller could have had no anxiety about finding a
seat. Each party of men was drawn up opposite its own part of the
train. The men's packs and arms were on the ground in front of them.
They waited the order to take their places. Competent N.C.O.'s with
lanterns walked up and down the whole length of the station, ready
with advice and help when advice and help were needed.

It was my good fortune that I had to visit in his office the R.T.O.,
the organising genius of the start. My servant arrived at the last
moment, an unexpected traveller for whom no provision had been made.
The order which permitted him to accompany me reached him only after
I had left the camp. I fully expected to be snubbed, perhaps cursed,
by that R.T.O. I was an utterly unimportant traveller. I was
upsetting, at the very moment of starting, his thought-out
arrangements. He would have been fully justified in treating me with
scant courtesy.

I found him cool, collected, complete master of every detail. He was
friendly, sympathetic, ready with an instant solution of the
difficulty of my servant. He even apologised--surely an unnecessary
apology--for the discomfort I was likely to suffer through having to
spend the night in a compartment with three other officers. I do not
know the name of that R.T.O. I wish I did. I can only hope that his
abilities have been recognised and that he is now commander-in-chief
of all R.T.O.'s.

The night was not very unpleasant after all. My three
fellow-travellers were peaceable men who neither snored nor kicked
wildly when asleep. I slumbered profoundly and did not wake till the
train came to a standstill on an embankment. There was no obvious
reason why the train should have stopped in that particular place for
half an hour or why it should have spent another three-quarters of an
hour in covering the last mile which separated us from the station.
But I know by experience that trains, even in peace time, become very
leisurely in approaching that particular city. They seem to wander
all round the place before finally settling down.

In peace time, travelling as a tourist, one does not complain. The
city is rich in spires and there are nice views to be got from the
rail