“Jim and George, they’re in Kitchener’s lot at Colchester--the Hoozars, and me old man’s back in th’ Army Transport, an’ if that don’t mek him move his lazy bones I d’n know annything this side the other place that will. It tired him so last time he was in it, that he’s bin resting ever since. But it’s the thing he knows best, and when the call come he forgot his tiredness an’ up an’ went like a man. ‘Damn that Keyzer!’ he says,--you’ll pardon me, mum, but them was his identical words,--‘Damn that Keyzer!’ he says. ‘He is the limit,--walking over little Belgium with ’is ’obnails like that without so much as a by-your-leave or beg-pardon. He’s got to be knocked out, he has, and I’m on to help jab him one in the eye. And you two boys,’ he says, ‘you’re onto this job too, or I’ll have the skin off of you both before you know where y’are. Yer King and yer country needs yer.’ An’ if you’ll b’lieve me, mum, they went like lambs.” “And why did they go into the Hussars? Can they ride?” “Divv--I mean, not a bit of it, mum. But they talked it over atween themselves, and Jim, he said, if it come to riding or walking, he’d sooner ride any day, an’ the spurs made a man look a man. So they went up together and they was took on like a shot. An’ I’m to get twelve-and-six a week now and mebbe more later on, they do say. I ain’t got it yet, but it’s a-comin’ all right, an’ then----” “Well, I hope you’ll save all you can, Mrs Skirrow. You never know what the future may bring, you know.” “That’s true, mum. But I’ve worked harder than most for these three this many a year, and I’m inclined to think I’ll mebbe tek a bit of a holiday and have a decent rest. How long d’you think it’ll go on, mum?” “I’m afraid no one can tell that, Mrs Skirrow. Colonel Luard says he will be glad if it’s over in six months.” “Ah,--well,”--with a satisfied look on her face,--“that’s a tidy spell. For me, if it was a year I d’n know as I’d mind. It’ll keep a lot o’ men out o’ mischief.” “And put many out of life altogether, I’m afraid.” “Ay--well--mebbe! But there’s always the pension to look forward to, an’ they do say it’s goin’ to be bigger than ever it was before.” “Yes, I’m sure everybody feels that everything possible should be done for the men at the front and those they leave behind them.” “That’s right, mum. ’Tain’t such a bad old world after all. D’you hear about the Chilfers down the road, mum?” “No. What about them?” “A rare joke. Everybody’s laughing at ’em. When yon first pinch come and it lukt ’s if we might all be starvin’ inside a week, Mr Chilfer he went up in his big motor to th’ Stores, and he come back with it full,--’ams and sides o’ bacon, all nicely done up, an’ flour, an’ cheeses, an’ I d’n know what all. Lukt like a Carter Paterson at Christmas time, he did. An’ now prices is down again he wants to get rid o’ the stuff, an’ nob’dy’ll luk at it ’cos it’s all goin’ bad on ’is ’ands. And serve him jolly well right!--that’s what I say.”