tendants busy. There
were only two of them: the proprietress, a dark-skinned lady,
familiarly termed Mother Charcoal, and a mite of a boy whom the
English customers called the "imp" and the French _polisson_ (rogue).

Mother Charcoal was a stout but comely negress, hailing originally
from Jamaica, who had come to Constantinople as stewardess in one of
the transport-ships. Being of an enterprising nature, she had hastened
to the seat of war and sunk all her ready-money in opening a canteen.
She was soon very popular with the allied troops of every nationality
and did a roaring trade.

"Some brandy--your best, my black Venus!" shouted Hyde.

"Who you call names? Me no Venus."

"Well, Mrs. Charcoal, then; that name suits your colour."

"What colour? You call me coloured? I no common nigger, let me tell
you, sah; I a Georgetown lady. Me wash for officers' wives and give
dignity-balls in my own home. Black Venus! Charcoal! You call me my
right name. Sophimisby Cleopatra Plantagenet Sprotts: that my right
name."

"Well, Mrs. S.C.P.S., I can't get my tongue round them all; fetch the
brandy or send it. We will talk about your pedigree and Christian
names some other time."

This chaffing colloquy had raised a general laugh and put Hyde on good
terms with the company.

"What news from the front, sergeant?" asked one of the Land Transport
Corps, a new comer.

"Nothing much on our side, except that they say there will be a new
bombardment in a few days. But the French, were pretty busy last
night, to judge from the firing."

"What was it?"

"Perhaps our friend here can tell you" and he turned to Anatole,
asking the question in French.

"A glorious affair, truly!" replied the Frenchman, delighted to have
an opportunity of launching out.

"I was there--I, who speak to you."

"Tell us about it," said Hyde; "I will interpret it to these
gentlemen."

"The Russians, you must understand, have been forming ambuscades in
front of our bastion Du Mat, which have given us infinite trouble.
Last night we attacked them in three columns, 10,000 strong, and drove
them out."

"Well done!"

"It was splendidly done!" went on Anatole, bombastically. "Three times
the enemy tried to retake their ambuscades; three times we beat them
back at the point of the bayonet, so!"

And the excitable Frenchman jumped from his seat and went through the
pantomime of charging with the bayonet.

"You lost many men?"

"Thousands. What matte