nding him. After this
he developed a parlour trick which made me quite fond of him. When I
went to the stable he would put his nose round to the side pocket whore
I kept the sugar. He always got some, and he knew there would always be
some more when he got home.

Thus it became necessary to instruct him in topography. He quickly
learned that certain turnings led to the camp, and I was reduced to
subterfuges to prove to him that they did not. It was essential to go
over every road at various times in opposite directions. That confused
him, and though I disliked the deception I had to resort to it, with the
result that Frank finally accepted me at my own fictitious valuation as
a person who did not properly know his own mind.

But it took him some time to get into my ways. Once we spent twenty
minutes on a small stretch of road leading from the parade ground to a
railway bridge. I wanted to cross the bridge and Frank did not. I took
him towards the bridge and he took me back towards the camp. This
happened thirteen times. At the fourteenth there was a variation; he
changed his mind and we crossed the bridge. During the twenty minutes, I
remember, we had a further slight disagreement about a stick. I was glad
I had brought it, and he was not. But on the other side of the bridge we
let bygones be bygones. Frank had his moods, but he was always a
gentleman.

He was also a soldier. His strong point really was that he was excellent
on parade. He would look round, grasp the formation at a glance, and
drop into his place. He was never more happy than when route-marching;
never more unhappy than when compelled to break out of the line. Indeed,
so much did he enjoy column of route that when off duty with two or
three other horses he would play at route-marching, taking up a position
in Indian file and avoiding any sort of arrangement which brought him
abreast of his companions.

At last we had to part. I don't know the right way to express this.
Possibly I was reissued without him; I am not sure what the process was.
At any rate we separated, he remaining at the camp and I proceeding on
duty to the Depot. I said good-bye to him and he nuzzled for the last
time at my side pocket. Having munched the sugar, he turned to the more
serious business of his manger. I think this must have been his way of
concealing his emotion.

* * * * *

RAG-TIME IN THE TRENCHES.

Roll up, rally up!
St