MEMORIES OF THE COUNTRY PEOPLE 101 



to hear news of the war. A clap of thunder sets 

 them muttering. " Big guns, God help us." 

 The soldiers they frowned at two weeks ago are 

 heroes now, and the town echoes to the sound 

 of hoofs as the endless stream of remounts 

 pour in. 



'* Sure, the soldiers need it for the Germans to 

 kill them. Some of the horses they has bought 

 '11 do it furst," says a car-driver who knows the 

 brutes which have been bought up. 



There are many fine useful horses bought by 

 good judges, but some — as one of the remount 

 officers said dryly yesterday. 



" He's resting the good leg now, he's got so 

 tired of standing on it. What will it be like when 

 he begins to rest the bad one." 



And they are solemnly amusing even in their 

 panic — amusing and grimly determined to fight. 



" The big hay fork should be good entirely," 

 one said to the other as they made up hay. 



** I would not say they could even land," from 

 the other. *'The missus towlt us there was bomb- 

 shells sot below in the say, an' a man waitin' with 

 his finger on a string to pull and let them off." 



" H'm. Wouldn't the say dround the powder 

 now ? I'd rather thrust to the volunteers." 



A very pitiful side to it also even in a fortnight's 

 war. Old women in the streets talking to each 

 other. " We cannot Uve, asthore — we cannot. 

 Fourpince now for the sthone of coal, and six- 



