AROUND EPSOM AND LEATHERHEAD 155 



from one shelter to another in the dense jungle 

 capped with old man's beard, and straggling 

 flocks of fieldfares silently passing over — too 

 tired, I guess, to even say chac. Here, twenty 

 miles from London, was as complete solitude 

 as in the bush. Judgment of distances and 

 measurements was mere guess-work, and, for all 

 you could tell by sight or hearing, you might be 

 a mile above the river level when you stumbled 

 on a fort apparently built to dominate the valley 

 if the real Battle of Dorking should come off, 

 and forgotten altogether — kind of mislaid, like 

 the two regiments left for fifteen years in New 

 Zealand, on nobody's books but the Paymaster- 

 General's. Signs of life, however, were discover- 

 able in cottages put up adjacent to the battery 

 depot, and, I may mention, one began to get 

 quite glad to strike something that was alive, 

 even if it was only a kid that pretended to be 

 frightened into dragging its anchor, and a couple 

 of very warlike dogs, outwardly fierce little tykes 

 but inwardly glad enough to see a stranger. 



Funny birds you do see, to be sure, when you 

 have not a gun, as also when you are provided 

 with artillery. What do you think I heard, 

 while taking my diluted holiday, one rustical 

 dweller say to another agricultural gentleman of 

 a third party unknown ? I happened on them 

 at the end of an oration in which the story-teller 

 said, in effect, as Mr Bettinson does at the 

 National Sporting Club : '' So-and-so is the 

 winner, gentlemen " ; only he meant to say that 

 himself had won — on points and a knock-out, 

 too, I should think, by his style. The part I 

 caught was this : '' What did he do then ? " asked 

 number two, '*Do?" replied t'other; ''the 



