new recruits upon the
battalion as a whole. You will remember that those recruits are from all
classes, and the presence of the so-called Non-manual is clearly marked
in the daily conversation overheard. Thus in the good old B company you
will hear: "'Ere, Bill, where's me pull-through?" "I ain't seen yer
ruddy pull-through." "You'm a liar; you've bin and took it." "Get off
with yer; I ain't. If yer want a ruddy pull-through, why don't yer pinch
Joe's ruddy pull-through? 'E's away on guard." In F Company as now
constituted it runs: "Angus, have you seen my pull-through anywhere?"
"No, Gerald, I have not." "You are sure you haven't taken it by
mistake?" "I assure you I have not; but, if you want a pull-through, I
am sure Clement would not mind your borrowing his temporarily."

Among our last draft of recruits was a newly-joined officer who had been
at the military business before. What he liked about us was that we are
Territorials, immune from this new "platoon" system. "I like people," he
said, "who call half a company a half-company." He had tried the new
business, but couldn't manage it; he could give the "_On the left: Form
section_" all right, but when it came to platoons he would shout,
"_Form_ ..." and then could think of nothing better than pontoon or
pantaloon. His brother, it appeared, had joined a Territorial regiment
up North; being methodical he had read all the letters from the front
which have appeared in the Press, and set about equipping himself
accordingly. Even if he should lose all except what he stood up in he
meant to keep dry and warm; so he scrapped all his shirts, socks, vests
and whatnots, and substituted others of monstrous weight and thickness,
lined his tunic with fleece, his breeches with waterproof, his puttees
with fur, and his boots, it was said, with all three. Within twenty-four
hours of completing his fortifications he was sailing for India.

We all contemplate that time when our valises shall be, unhappily, no
longer with us. The odd things we must still have are: towel, razor,
soap, shaving soap, shaving brush, toothbrush, extra boots, socks and
so-on's, mess-tin, knife, fork, spoon, revolver, ammunition, compass,
clasp-knife, field-service pocket-book, note-books, sketching-books,
lamp, flask, bandages, mug and house-wife. These might be accommodated
in the haversack or elsewhere, but that all available sites are already
occupied by what we, or better still our relatives, friends