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preparatory to the diamond hitch, 

 Lusk gingerly keeping a sharp look- 

 out for the animal's legs, ears and 

 eye, lifted a pannier into position. 

 That was the signal in spite of 

 Charley who was trying to hold up 

 the head, down it went, the back 

 humped suddenly, and Badger shot 

 into the air, landed stiffly all four 

 feet together, gave himself a shake, 

 and resumed his normal pose bare 

 of all encumbrances, save the daisy 

 garland rakishly cocked on one 

 ear. They felt it made them ri- 

 diculous, yet not one of the three 

 men would deign to remove it; 

 hating the thing as though each 

 nodding bloom were a viper ready 

 to attack, they ignored it elabo- 

 rately. Three times did Badger 

 buck off his pack and each time 

 all that remained from the wreck 

 was his decoration. It stuck to him 

 through all his vicissitudes like a pet 

 sin and at last, when conquered, he 

 was guided into line, a crushed and 

 ( withered chaplet still hung round his 

 neck, mocking reminder that there 

 were " women in the outfit." A 

 furtive wink at me was the only 



