their equipment
blancoed and polished until it sparkles. I have no personal quarrel with
Colonel Best-Dunkley myself yet--in fact I have not yet exchanged a word
with him--but I cannot say that I am very favourably impressed."

CHAPTER IV

MILLAIN

It was at Millain that I had my first personal interview with Colonel
Best-Dunkley. That interview is recounted in the following letter, dated
June 13:

" ... The weather continues to be glorious: too hot to do anything. I am
Orderly Officer to-day. One of my duties as such is to inspect the
billets. They are scattered on all sides of the village, so quite an
appreciable walk is entailed. The Orderly Sergeant and I had a drink of
milk at one farm. We felt a little refreshed after that. I mounted the
guard with the Regimental Sergeant-Major. (Clements.) This afternoon he
has been made Sergeant of the Transport, and has been succeeded as
R.-S.-M. by Sergeant-Major Hoyle of B Company. Sergeant Preston becomes
Company Sergeant-Major of B Company.

"Yesterday the padre was appointed President of the Sports Committee,
but, as the Colonel wanted to arrange everything on his own
lines--suggesting races in full pack, amongst other things!--he has
resigned to-day.

"I had my first interview with Colonel Best-Dunkley this morning. As
Orderly Officer I was present at Commanding Officer's Orders. When he
arrived at the Orderly Room he saw me and said:

"'Who are you? Let me see, I don't think I have been introduced to you
yet. How are you?'

"I replied that my name was Floyd; and he shook hands quite genially!

"There were only two cases up for orders. One man was there for cheeking
a sergeant. He had called the sergeant something which cannot be
repeated here.

"'Why the b---- h---- did you speak to an N.C.O. like that?' exclaimed
the Colonel in a Judge Jeffreys tone. 'Will you take my sentence? Or
will you have a court martial?' he demanded.

"The man replied that he would take the Colonel's sentence.

"'Fourteen days Field Punishment No. 1,' snapped the Colonel. Exit
prisoner.

"After orders, Colonel Best-Dunkley asked me: 'What is your strong
point?' I replied that I was sorry to have to say so, but I had none; I
was not a specialist on anything. He did not even then become annoyed,
but went on asking me one or two other questions. How long had I been
gazetted? 'Not long,' was his comment on my reply. How long had I been
in the Army? What unit was I in befor