20 SPORTING AND 



sweetness of their perfume defy descrip- 

 tion. The road was now superb, and we 

 stepped along like heroes, and at the next 

 halt we were refreshed with hot coffee, 

 which had been sent on by a trusty servant 

 the previous evening ; it was all ready for 

 us, and each officer had a steaming cup of 

 that reviving beverage, especially so at 

 that early hour in the morning. Coffee 

 should be called the morning elixir of life, 

 as we call champagne, or sparkling 

 moselle, the night elixir. The word of 

 command to march was given for the 

 third time, and off we stepped again to 

 the tune of " We're all noddin." By this 

 time we, the officers, formed into little 

 sets, confined to our own particular 

 chums ; and, as the men were marching 

 "at ease," the commanding officer did 

 not care how we got along, provided we 



