l. You
will go with me to see him this evening. As you will see, I'm not
treating you quite like an ordinary recruit."

"I should think not, sir. I did not expect such favours."

When Bob got back to his chambers, he wrote to his mother.

"I expect this letter will come as a great surprise to you, mother," he
wrote. "This morning I enlisted! Of course you are rubbing your eyes
by this time, especially when you remember how I regard war. I haven't
altered my opinions in the slightest about its horror, and all that.
In fact, that's why I _have_ enlisted. I'm not going to enter into any
explanations of my change of belief and conduct. I'm only going to sy
that I believe it is my Christian duty to fight as long as God gives me
health against this War God which Germany has set up. I'm not sorry I
have gone through what I have gone through, even although I've lost
nearly everything I treasure most, and have lived in hell for weeks.
If I had enlisted when you wanted me to, I should have been no good. I
should have been feeling all the time that I was not doing right. I
should have been like a paralysed man trying to walk. Now everything
is different. I am eager to be in the thick of it. I am just longing
to be at those Germans. Not that I have anything against the German
people, but I want to help to kill the system that has gripped them
body and soul. It seems that nothing but war will cut out this
poisonous cancer of militarism, and it is the call of God to cut it out.

"That's why I've pleaded to be sent to the front right away. I met
Captain Pringle this morning (you remember him), and he's going to do
his best for me. He's off to the firing line in about a week's time,
and I'm in hopes that I shall be able to go with him. In what capacity
I don't know as yet; possibly only as a private, but I don't mind that.
We can't all be officers, and I'm eager, anxious to be _anything_
whereby I can help the cause. It is possible, therefore, that in a
week or two's time I shall be out of England, on my way to, if not in
the very midst of action.

"Please don't talk about this. God knows it's too serious to be talked
about. Fancy a doctor going to perform an operation which may kill not
only the patient but himself, and you have a hint of my feelings at
this moment. Let the people think what they will of me--I'm beyond all
that now. I'll write you in a day or two telling you exactly what has
taken place."