The German who used those words seemed to have no quarrel with those who were driving his country, and no pride in them--he did not approve and he did not disapprove. He seemed to accept them as part of the unquestioned, unchangeable laws of his existence; they were there--and what business was it of his to interfere with them? One can scarcely see a gleam of hope for them in the attitude of their prisoners--a people that cannot rebel. But perhaps it is unfair to judge. For these men, whom we now see, have been at long, long last through the fire of guns heavier than their own; and through the mud of Le Barque. CHAPTER XXXII THE NEW DRAFT _France, December 11th._ A fair-sized shell recently arrived in a certain front trench held by Australians in France. It exploded, and an Australian found himself struggling amongst some debris in No Man's Land. He tried to haul himself clear, but the tumbled rubbish kept him down; and, as often as he was seen to move, bullets whizzed past him from a green slope near by. The green slope ran like a low railway embankment along the other side of the unkempt paddock between the trenches. It was the German front line. Finally one of his mates, I am told, jumped over to his help and dragged him clear. When he got in he asked to be put into the very next party that should visit the German trenches. He wanted his own back. He was one of the newest Australians. That is exactly the sort of request that would have been made by the oldest ones. We have seen the newest Australian draft in France, and the verdict from first to last amongst those who know them is, "They will do." There is always a certain amount of chaff thrown out by the oldest Australians at the latest arrivals. The sort of Australian who used to talk about our "tinpot navy" labelled the Australians who rushed at the chance of adventure the moment the recruiting lists were opened "the six bob a day tourists." Well--the "Tourists" made a name for Australia such as no other Australians can ever have the privilege to make. The next shipment were the "Dinkums"--the men who came over on principle to fight for Australia--the real, fair dinkum[3] Australians. After them came the "Super-dinkums"--and the next the "War Babies," and after them the "Chocolate Soldiers," then the "Hard Thinkers," who were pictured as thinking very hard before they came. And then the "Neutrals." "We know they are not against the Allies," the others said, when came news of the latest drafts still training steadily under peace conditions, "we know they are not against us--we suppose they are just neutral." [3] "Dinkum"--Australian for "true."