ick.
I've just been showing him." "I've been watching ye, sir. I'm thinking
it wad need tae be war time for you to earn ten shillings a day in the
pits."

"How many men in this bay for rum, Sergeant Lumsden?" "Four men and
myself, sir. That will be nine." When handed his tot, he looked at the
bottom of the mug, and handed it back to the orderly sergeant, "Hoots,
Gorrie, dinna mak a fule o' my stamach."

An inveterate gambler, but a great sportsman, no one could have been
more loyal to his Company than Jock.

When a man on manoeuvres crawls up to a ditch within twenty yards of
a very wide awake post, leaves his cap just showing above the bank,
and then proceeds up the ditch so as to get within five yards of the
sentry, and could only be dislodged from there by stones, one spots
him at once as a keen, hard-working fellow. Such was Private Gall, who
eventually became R.S.M. He taught us to bayonet fight with "dash,
vigour, and determination," and gave us Irish songs and recitations at
our smokers.

Another star performer was Craig of the Machine Gun Battery, with his
whistling and patter. He eventually got a commission (and the D.S.O.)
in the Grenadier Guards.

Then there was Sergeant Renton--who, though badly frost-bitten,
refused to leave the front line, and always showed his other foot to
the Doctor. He could only hobble with the help of spades as crutches.
Young Roger who "saw red" in the Dere and nearly bayonetted the
Doctor. Hastie Young, an "old soldier," the regimental barber: he cut
the Brig.'s hair, until the Brig. unfortunately ran into Hastie
holiday-making in Jerusalem.

Lowson who snored quite happily within a few yards of the Turkish
machine gunner at "Amulree"[15] and finally got lost, and "fetched up
among the 'Duffs,' I think ye ca' them" (it is as the "Buffs" that
they are generally known)!

S.-M. Elder, an old Black Watch man, who when asked if he were dead
stoutly denied it.

Little Batchelor, the runner, never flurried and always so polite,
however nasty the Bosche might be, was nearly kidnapped by the
Australians as a mascot.

"Honest John" M'Niven who would work twenty-four hours a day to make A
Company more comfortable.

S.M. Hair whose wonderful pronunciation of words of command always
amused us. His "Stind at ---- ice" electrified everyone; unlike poor
old Aitken, whose staccato and rapid "Company company 'shun'" was
never heard by anyone! And then the footballers Savage, Herd, Col