Genre War. Page - 1

vered during advance of 42nd Division, 1918, facing 143

CHAPTER I.

Holding up the Turk.

In September, 1914, the 7th Bn. Manchester Regiment set out for active service in the East in goodly company, for they were a part of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division, the first territorials to leave these shores during the Great War. After many interesting days spent on garrison duty in the Sudan and Lower Egypt they journeyed to Gallipoli soon after the landing had been effected, and took a continuous part in that ill-fated campaign until the final evacuation. The beginning of 1916 thus found them back in Egypt, where they were taking part in General Maxwell's scheme for the defence of the Suez Canal. The things that befell the battalion during this long period have been admirably described in Major Hurst's book With Manchesters in the East, and this short history will attempt to continue the narrative from the point where it left off.

's laughing face became gravewhenever the subject was mentioned, but the young man was not to bemoved from his resolve.

Mardi Gras came and passed, but Ridge, though escorting his sister andcousin to all the festivities, took only a slight interest in them. Hewas always slipping away to buy the latest papers or to read thebulletins from Washington.

"Would you go as a private, son?" asked his father one evening when thesituation was being discussed in the family circle.

"No, no! If he goes at all--which Heaven forbid--it must be as anofficer," interposed Mrs. Norris, who had overheard the question.

"Of course a gentleman would not think of going as anything else,"remarked Dulce, conclusively.

"I believe there were gentlemen privates on both sides during the CivilWar," said Spence Cuthbert, quietly.

"Of course," admitted Dulce, "but that was different. Then men foughtfor principles, but now they are going to fight for--for--"

"The love of it, perhaps," suggested the girl from K

f senseless and half cruel hazing that has no purpose exceptthe amusement of the yearlings. Now, I think I've made myselfclear. At least, I've said all that I have to say on the subject.For the rest, I'll listen to the ideas of the rest of you."

There was silence, broken at last by Greg, who said:

"I think I agree, in the main, with Prescott."

"Oh, of course," grunted Dobbs, in a tone which might mean thatGreg Holmes was but the "shadow" of Dick Prescott.

Greg looked quickly at Dobbs, but saw nothing in the other's facethat justified him in taking open offence.

Somehow, though none of the others said anything to that effect,Cadet Prescott began to feel that he was a bit in the way at aconference of this sort. He didn't rise to leave at once, buthe swung around on his campstool near the door.

Without throwing the flap open, Prescott peeped through a slit-likeopening. As he did so he saw something that made his eyes flash.

The rain was pouring a little less heavily now. Down t

ve for a second or two and then smiled reassuringly. "It will be all right in time, quite right. You are suffering from shock; but you needn't worry. No worry. That's the great thing. A day or so will put you all right, Herr--let's see, what's your name?"

But I didn't bite. "Is it Lassen? The nurse said so."

"Don't you know it yourself?" he asked very kindly.

"No." That was true at any rate. "How did you find it out?"

"From the card in your trousers' pocket. You are the only survivor from the Burgen and had a very narrow escape. Even most of your clothes were blown off you. Doesn't anything I say suggest anything to you?"

I lay as if pondering this solemnly. "It's all so--so strange," I muttered, putting my hand to my head. "So--so----" and I left it at that; and he went away, after giving me one more item of valuable information--that my belt which contained my money had also been saved.

I played that lost memory for all it was worth and with gorgeous succes

Take Oyl of Flower-de-Lys, Powder of Brimstone, and dry'd Elicampane-Roots, of each a like quantity, and Bay-Salt powdered; mix these Powders with the Oyl, and warm it, anoint, scratch, and make it bleed, it will do well.

Tetter. Take Black Ink, Juice of Mint and Vinegar, of each alike, mix them altogether with Powder of Brimstone to a Salve, and anoint it.

Worms. Give your Hound Brimstone and new Milk, it will kill them.

Gauling. May Butter, yellow Wax and unflackt Lime, made to a Salve, and Anoint therewith, is a present Remedy.

Mange. Take two Handfuls of Wild-Cresses, of Elicampane, of the Leaves and Roots of Roerb and Sorrel, the like quantity, and two Pound of the Roots of Frodels, Boyl them all well in Lye and Vinegar, strain it, and put therein two Pound of Grey Soap, an

ns of theprolix document. Five clerks with rows of hungry teeth, bright,mocking eyes, and curly heads, lifted their noses towards the door,after crying all together in a singing tone, "Come in!"

Boucard kept his face buried in a pile of papers--/broutilles/ (oddsand ends) in French law jargon--and went on drawing out the bill ofcosts on which he was busy.

The office was a large room furnished with the traditional stool whichis to be seen in all these dens of law-quibbling. The stove-pipecrossed the room diagonally to the chimney of a bricked-up fireplace;on the marble chimney-piece were several chunks of bread, triangles ofBrie cheese, pork cutlets, glasses, bottles, and the head clerk's cupof chocolate. The smell of these dainties blended so completely withthat of the immoderately overheated stove and the odor peculiar tooffices and old papers, that the trail of a fox would not have beenperceptible. The floor was covered with mud and snow, brought in bythe clerks. Near the window stood th

you might incautiously give the show away. You had a good passage?"

"Excellent," replied von Ruhle. "I am getting well-known to the strafed English custom-house officers at Queenboro' and Harwich. They recognize me by my stick, I believe, but they little know that it is a new one every time. What do you think of this? I have brought it as a specimen for you to see. Just fancy! every time I cross to Holland twenty kilogrammes of good copper are on their way to the Fatherland. By this time Herr Stabb of Essen is well acquainted with my Malacca canes."

"A good weight to carry about," remarked Ramblethorne, wielding the disguised bar of copper. "I wonder you troubled."

"Mein Gott! I could not leave it," declared von Ruhle. "Someone might take a fancy to it, and then the secret would be out. But tell me: have you succeeded in getting that commission you spoke of?"

"I am still living in hopes," replied Ramblethorne. "Of course I could have obtained a post of temporary surgeon in the Brit

topped more than once, and, loitering along, it was dark when they neared their destination.

As they would have drawn up to the wharf there was a sudden flash of light--gone in a moment--followed by a dark body that swished by them like a flash.

Frank uttered an exclamation of astonishment.

"See that?" he demanded.

"Yes. What could it have been?"

"You've got me, but it's heading toward the open sea. Great Scott! Maybe it's an enemy."

"An enemy?"

"Yes; you know how anxious the Germans are over this submarine business. Maybe this fellow has been spying about. May be going to report to a German submarine out there some place."

"Think we had better follow and have a look?" asked Jack.

"Believe it would be a good idea. Let's go."

Without another word, Jack brought the boat about and headed after the one that had so recently dashed by them. In the darkness ahead there was nothing to be seen.

"Like looking for a needle in a haystack," Jack

s duty by me, and had no desire to hear from me in the future. I was inclined to send the money back to him, but Father O'Leary persuaded me not to do so, saying that I must be in a position to buy these things, if I obtained a commission; and that, no doubt, the money had been given me, not for my own sake, but because he felt that he owed it to me, for some service rendered to him by my father."

"It was an ungracious way of doing it," O'Sullivan said, "but, in your circumstances, I should have taken the money had it come from the old one himself. It is, perhaps, as well that it should have been done in such a manner that you may well feel you owe no great gratitude towards such a man."

"And how did you get over here?"

"There was no great difficulty about that. In spite of the activity of the English cruisers, constant communication is kept up between Ireland and France, and fortunately I had, a short time before, made the acquaintance of one of your officers, who was over there, in disg