hen he
felt a friendly hand on his shoulder and a cheery voice asked how he
was getting on.

It was Colonel SEELY bending over him, regardless of heavy shell fire
directed on the spot by German batteries. He gave the wounded Fusilier
a cigarette, helped him to get up and assisted him to his motor-car,
in which he had all day been engaged in conveying wounded to French
hospital in the rear.

"He is the bravest man I ever met," said Private JAMES WHITE. "He was
as cool as the morning under fire, cheering us all up with smiles and
little jokes."

_Business done:_--Report of Supply.

* * * * *

[Illustration: THE AIRCRAFT CRAZE.

"ULLO, YOU FELLERS! WOT YER COME DOWN FOR? MORE PETROL?"]

* * * * *

A RECRUITING BALLAD.

[Recruiting in country districts is languishing because the
folk hear nothing of their regiments, and local attachment is
very strong. Unfortunately this ballad had to be founded on
material supplied by the C----r. However, the permitted
references to Germans ought at any rate to convince the public
that the ballad has no connection whatever with the late Boer
War.]

This is the tale of the Blankshires bold, the famous charge they
made;
This is the tale of the deeds they did whose glory never will fade;
They only numbered _X_ hundred men and the German were thousands
(_Y_),
Yet on the battlefield of _Z_ they made the foeman fly.

Calm and cool on the field they stood (near a town--I can't say
where);
Some of them hugged their rifles close but none of them turned a
hair;
The Colonel (I must suppress his name) looked out on the stubborn
foe,
And said, "My lads, we must drive them hence, else _A_ + _B_ will
go."

Then each man looked in his neighbour's face and laughed with sudden
glee
(The Briton fights his very best for algebra's formulae);
The hostile guns barked loud and sharp (their number I cannot
give),
And no one deemed the Blankety Blanks could face that fire and
live.

For Colonel O. was struck by a shell and wounded was Major Q.,
And half a hostile army corps came suddenly into view;
And hidden guns spat death at them and airmen hovered to kill,
But the Blankety Blanks just opened their ranks and charged an
(unnamed) hill.

Half of their number fell on t