September 13, 1917 
LAND & WATER 
13 
of the soldiers mischievously. " You must have been a tidy 
young feller," he added, as" he gazed with a wink of his eye 
at the bony figure of the ancient man gnarled, like an old 
oak. 
" Young feller," said the old man solemnly, I was a 
married man with dree childcr, and the quartern loaf cost 
a shillin' and more. How'd I find \ittles for 'cm ? There 
warn't no separation allowances in those days, there warn't, 
and no soldiers' wives living on the fat o"f the land an 
lovc-childer a-gctting it too same as if they was born in 
lawful wedlock. No that there warn't. But I hcv attested 
now and be ready to come up when called upon if Jhe King 
be so minded." 
.\t this all four soldiers laughed incredulously. 
" It be true, I'll take a gospel oath on it," said the old 
man's son. " It was when they had bills stuck up on the 
school by Lord Derby, .calling on His Majesty's subjects 
to attest like men. And afore we knowed what he was gwine 
to do, feyther goes up to squire and says ^' 1 be come to attest, 
sir, and do my bit against those ungodly men." And squire 
says ' You're "too old, Jarge, you're an old aiKient man.' 
And feyther comes home and sits in chimbly and never a 
word says 'e .to any on us. And he won't- touch 
bite or sup, and sits there a-fretting and won't speak 
to anyone, as though he were turned into a pillar 
of salt. .\nd we calls in the Doctor as examined him 
and couldn't find nothing wrong with un, and he says 
' 'E's got summat on his mind.' And at last he gets it 
out on en, and feyther tells en as squire says he be too old 
and the grasshopper's a burden and desire do fail — and 
feyther says as he'll never go out of the house again except 
veet voremost, and it ain't no good hoeing and hedge-cutting 
for squire, for if he be too old for a soldjer 'e be too pld for 
labour at a shillin' a day, and e don't want no charity. And 
squire, when he heerd it, sent for feyther and — ^you tell 'em 
what squire said, feyther." 
The old man wif)ed his forehead with trembling hands. 
" 'E said to me, 'e said, 'Jarge, I made a mistake, I did. We'll 
put you in group one hundred and dirty dree — to be called 
up if so be required.' .\nd he give I two shillin' and nine- 
pence and said ' Its the King's money, Jarge, and I con- 
gratulate you. You're a credit to the parish and an hc.xample 
to the younger men.' " 
" .\ye, that yoii be, grandfer," chorussed his fellow- 
parishioners. 
" W ell done, old sport," said the soldier who had in- 
terrogated him, " we'd sooner have you in the battalion than 
any of those cold-footed conscientious objectors any, day, 
Lord love me, we would." 
" We would that," said another. " We'll make you our 
mascot." 
" .Mascot," said the old man, "what be that?" 
" Pride o' the reg'ment," replied the soldier laconically. 
"We've got a bull-dog. I guess you're one of the same 
breed." 
The old man ignored tHe compliment. " This war be a 
deep and fearful thing, neighbours," he said solemnly. " When 
1 did last hear parson read the Commination Service 1 did 
think of that there Kayser at the Last Day, when the .sea 
gives up its dead, and all the drownded babes and sucklings 
and the women with child and the poor chaps that hev died 
in torment a-calling on their mothers do rise up and point 
the linger of accusation at 'en and do say ' Thou art the 
man.' I tell ye it do make my old bones like water when 
I think of the wrath of the Almighty and what he hev in 
stori' for that misbegotten man." 
" True, most true, and well-spoken, Jarge. It were 
better a mill-stone were hung round that man's neck, it 
were — but 'tis time to put these sheaves up, sonnies." 
They rose to their feet. ' 
" Now, my lads," said Daniel Newth tutorially to the four 
soldiers," you just bide a bit and zee how I does it." 
He took two sheaves and embracing one maternally in each 
arm he stood them upright upon the soil so as to get 
the butts • about a yard apart. He then sloped them 
towards one another so that they made an isosceles triangle 
with the ground. This done he took a second couple 
and placed them against the hrst, but not quite parallel, so 
tiiat they stood at an angle to it, stacked together like four 
ritles. " It makes'cm stand easier " he explained " and packs 
the ears better." This done the shock was complete. 
Now my lads, ye zees as I've a placed 'em in fours. 
That's so as they'll get more air'and dry ([uickcr, though the 
sheaf to the north won't get much sun. Some folks shocks 
em lengthways in si.xes with the ridge running north and 
south. Well, that's to get the best of the sun on 'em and 
to make '<'m stand against the wind better. But they don't 
dry so well that way," 
" Its like lilling sand-bags and consolidating " said one 
of the soldiers reflectively. " You wouldn't think it, mister. 
but there's a lot ot science in buildmg a parapet. You've 
got to till yer sandbags only three parts full, beat 'em with 
yer entrenching-tool, and then slope 'em so as they arc well 
and truly laid." 
" Aye, aye, it be the same with thatching. It be won- 
derful what a lot of science there is in the works of man's 
hand. There's a right way and a wrong with everything." 
.\s they talked, a burring sound as of a gigantic insect 
was heard behind them and two horses appeared driven by a 
girl in a " smock " and breeches who sat gracefully in the tiny 
saddle of a low iron vehicle. Below the axle was a row of 
sharp steel knives like a shark's teeth, and at the side of it 
" saUs " of painted wood revolved like the arms of a windmill 
with the progress of the machine and, revolving, pressed the 
corn on the near side of the driver against the knives and then 
carried the cut grain over the driving wheel by means of an 
endless web of canvas. .\ curved arm, threaded with twine 
like the needle of a sewing machine, encircled the bundle of 
grain, tied it, cut the twine-band, and the sheaf was then 
thrown off the machine. 
The chariot passed on leaving a swathe of sheaves of 
yellow corn entwined with a garland of lilac scabious, pink 
and white convolvulus, scarlet pimpernel, poppies, and all 
the hectic flowers of the cornfield. A hare bolted from her^ 
sanctuary in the diminishing wheat and was pursued with 
shouts of " Kamerad V by the soldiers till she made her escape 
through the yarrow in the hedge. 
They returned breathless from the pursuit, and as the 
machine which was steadily reducing the rectangle of the 
standing corn to smaller and smaller dimensions returned, they 
gazed on it, their attention divided between its human-like 
gesticulations and the girl who drove it. 
" Tanks ain't in it with that old wmamm ' said one of 
them. " It'll begin to talk next, like a blooming gramophone." 
'* Its a binder," said the old man. " they came in in ninety- 
two. They be mortal clever things and can do everything but 
talk. But they don't bind as tidy as a man do — they don't 
keep the butts together." 
" There ain't no flies on that girl," said another soldier as he 
watched this new Persephone gathering the flowers of the field 
with the finger-beam of her docile chariot. 
" I don't hold with 'em " said the old man dubiously. 
" I don't mind wenches 'a binding sheaves — its like holding 
a little maid against -a woman's bosom and tying her pinafore 
behind her— and women can do it tidy. But this driving of 
bosses — it's men's work. The world's getting topsy-turvy 
with maids a'doing the work of men. It's against Nature. 
Male and Female created He them, I say." 
The day wore on to its close, the shadows of the elm 
deepened, and the sun began to sink like a ball of fire over the 
downs. A light breeze flickered among the stalks of uncut 
corn and brushed the surface with an invisible caress so that 
a ripple passed over the drooping ears of grain. 
" Time to be getting home-along," said Daniel Newth. 
The toilers rose and straightened themselves. There 
was an unmistakable sound of amorous salutation behind one 
of the shocks of corn and the girl in the lilac sunbonnet emerged 
readjusting the strings, her face a deep crimson. She was 
followed by a soldier wearing a look of studied unconscious- 
ness. His comrades gazed at the pair with a mortifying con- 
viction of lost opportunities. 
" They do say as kissing goes by favouring," said the old 
man reflectively. 
* t * * 
l-'ive days later the Musketry Inspecting Officer, sitting 
m his room at the Headquarters of the Command, was in- 
terrupted by a ring on the telephone. He took down the 
receiver. 
" Hello ! What ? Harvesting finished, did you say ? Right 
oh ! We'll close the field-firing range again." And lie ruse 
and removed a flag from tlie map. 
, The official Air Services Exhibition, first opened in London 
and organised by Lady Droghwla, has done good work in collect- 
ing for the Flying Services' hospitals and Fickl Marshal Viscount 
French's War Charities. It was opened at J3irmingham by Sir 
David flendcrson, atCoveiitry by Sir .Arthur du Cros, at Liver- 
pool by l^)rd Derby, at Manchester by Commander I'aine, and at 
(;iasgow by the Duke of .-\tholl, a week Ix^iiig given to each centre. 
\n idea of its popularity may be gained from the fact that 
i^lthough tile charge lor admission is only si.xpencc, over Z.^.ooo has 
already been cleared for Ihe charities which the c.xhibition 
assists. The exhibits comprise Zeppelin engines and other relics, 
war trophies, types of German aeroplanes, aerial photographs, 
and such hi.storic relics as the aeroplane Hown by the late Lieu- 
tenant Warneford. It is an interesting and instructive collection 
of articles pertaining to naval and military aviation, and has be- 
come virtually a permanent institution, to which all that is in- 
teresting and at the same time capable of complying with the 
restrictions of the censorship eventually finds its way. Lady 
Drogheda, the organiser of the exhibition, is to be Congratulated 
ou the results of her work. 
