ateful feelings I left him. In the evening I
reported to Kingston the result of my interview with George Reid. I felt
I had succeeded as regarded the inspectorship of stores. But what about
retaining my appointment as Commandant of South Australia while I was
away? I had just returned after an absence of six months. Was it likely
that the important position of Commandant was to continue to be filled by
a _locum tenens_ for a further period of one whole year? Kingston did not
keep me long in suspense. "Well done, Reid!" he said. "That settles your
going. I will see that you do not lose your appointment of Commandant as
long as I am Premier. Get straight back to Adelaide and say absolutely
nothing to anyone. Act as if you were going to stay, but be ready to get
on a steamer homeward bound as soon as you hear from me. Good-bye and
good luck." So we parted, and I found my way back to Adelaide by the
first coastal boat.

The day after my arrival there the mail steamer _Victoria_ was due to
leave, homeward bound, at midnight. In the afternoon of that day I got an
official letter from the office of the South Australian Premier notifying
me that I had been appointed Military Adviser and Inspector of Warlike
Stores for the Australian Colonies, Queensland being the only objector.
You can imagine the surprise my departure caused, but I was away in the
ss. _Victoria_, well into the Australian Bight, making westwards, when
the news of my new appointment appeared in next day's morning papers.
This was now my sixth voyage to and from Australia, and was as pleasant
as its predecessors.

CHAPTER IX

MILITARY ADVISER TO THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES IN LONDON

On my arrival in London I found that my wife was not well. As a matter of
fact, she was anything but well. I at once removed her and the children
to Richmond Hill and set to work at my new duties. I was not prepared for
the consternation which my arrival in London caused amongst the
Agents-General of the Colonies which I was to represent. Kingston had
evidently thought it advisable not to cable, with the result that the
official notification arrived by post practically at the same time as
myself. Not having any idea that their Governments in Australia intended
to send anyone home to fill the appointment, the Agents-General had
accepted the services of another Royal Artillery officer on the Active
List to carry on pending a definite appointment being made, in accordance
with t