-pinnace through the water, and up the face of the opposite
hill. Full of the glorious bursting weight of good news, I looked
down upon our batmen at work in the cookhouse, and roared: "Pack the
valises. We're off to-night." I rushed into the dug-out. "Get up," I
commanded Monty; "we leave by ship at midnight."

Never did an invalid with a broken back leap so easily out of his
bed, as did Monty. He assured me, however, in an apologetic way,
that he had been feeling much better even before he had the news.

"Now you know," said he, "what the Special Order about holding
Helles was for--to deceive old Tomfool Turk; and why those regiments
from Suvla were landed here--to appear to the Turk like
reinforcements, but really to conduct the evacuation at Helles,
having learnt the job at Suvla; and why we wanted the Turkish
aeroplanes to get back with news of our landing of troops--but, my
bonny lad, for every two hundred we land by day, we'll take off two
thousand by night!"

After a morning of hurried packing we decorated the dug-out walls
with messages for Johnny Turk to find, when he should enter our
deserted dwelling. "Sorry, Johnny, not at home"; "Au revoir, Abdul."

"Really," said Monty, "we possess a pretty wit." And, having placed
a mug of whisky on the table with a bottle of water, so that Old Man
Turk could pour it out to his liking, he wrote: "Have this one with
me, John. You fought well."

"Get my kit down with yours," said I. "I'll meet you at W Beach at
ten pip-emma."

"Why?" he asked in surprise. "Aren't you coming with me?"

"No," I replied, playing scandalous football with the cookhouse;
"I'm going to join my company and lead my braves to safety.
Good-bye."

"For Heaven's sake, don't be rash," he called after me as I set off.
"There may be dangerous work."

"Meet you at W Beach at ten pip-emma," cried I, now some distance
away.

"But you haven't the doctor's permission to return."

"Damn the doctor!" I yelled, and disappeared.

Sec.3

It was quite dark in the fire-trenches by seven o'clock. My men,
with every stitch of equipment on their backs, stood on the
firing-step and kept up a dilatory fire on the Turkish lines.

"Maintain an intermittent fire," I ordered, as I walked among them.
"Not too much of it, or the Turk will think we're nervy, and begin
to suspect--not too little, or he'll wonder if we're moving."

In silence the relief of my company was effected. The men of the
13th Divisio