onceited, who suddenly burst into their
highly organised profession. Now and then, though rarely, I came
across senior officers set temporarily in positions of command who
were objectionable or silly, who "assumed the god" and made
themselves ridiculous. But these were seldom regular soldiers. And
perhaps what I resented arose from too much zeal, was an attempt, by
wrong ways, to achieve a kind of dignity which every one respects.

Looking back over the period of my service I do not know that I met
more than two or three of this kind, tyrants to their men, insolent
to officers of lower rank. The regular soldier, who has given his
life to his profession and has generally served and fought in various
corners of the world, is amazingly considerate and helpful to
outsiders even when they are gauche and awkward.

The adjutant received me in the orderly-room when I reached the camp,
some time after dark. I was as respectful as possible for I thought
he was the colonel. Even if I had known him for an adjutant I should
still have been respectful, for I like to be on the safe side of
things and I had not the remotest idea what the position and
functions of an adjutant are. I know now that he is something like an
archdeacon, a man of enormous importance whose duties it is a little
difficult to define exactly. He expected me. With the help of the
sergeant-major he had found a servant for me and assigned a hut to
me.

For the servant I have nothing but praise. He could and did darn
socks well. Indeed he confided to me that when at home he darned his
wife's stockings, being much better at the job than she was. He could
talk to French people in a language that was neither theirs nor his,
but which they understood without difficulty. He was very punctual
and he did not like the kind of tobacco which I smoke. His one fault
was that he did not know whether an oil stove was smoking or not and
could not learn. I am often haunted by the recollection of one snowy
night on which I arrived at my hut to find the whole air inside dense
with fine black smuts. I had to drag everything I possessed out of
the hut into the snow. It took me hours to get myself clean after
that night, and I still find traces of lampblack on some of the
garments which suffered with me.

But that inability to deal with lamps was my servant's one failing.
In every other respect I was satisfied with him. I hope he was
equally satisfied with me. He was at first. I kno