344 TOLD AFTER MESS 



Tommies and a sergeant-major seated on the 

 trolly ; it rattles out of the barrack square and 

 over some five miles or so of road to the heath 

 where the hero of the day breathed his last. The 

 trolly is drawn up on to the grass, and after a few 

 minutes' search the Sergeant-Major discovers the 

 corpus delicti', with much exertion it is hauled up 

 on to the trolly, and the return journey commences. 



" Just before the witching hour of midnight ' when 

 sentries yawn and Colonels go to bed ' — Shake- 

 speare freely transposed, boys, this — enter the 

 trolly to the stable yard again. The dead horse is 

 hoisted out, put in it's stall, and the head-collar 

 most carefully adjusted (' in case he should get 

 loose/ observed one Tommy to another, with an 

 unholy grin). 



" All the actors in the little drama retire to imbibe 

 liquid sustenance ' stood ' by an invisible donor — 

 peace reigns again all around the barrack square, 



and and that's the end. Waiter, bring me a 



whiskey and soda, and some matches." 



TURNBULL AND SPEARS, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH. 



