Meanwhile the company sergeant-major has received the orders from the orderly, and summons unto him the orderly-sergeant, and from his “roster,” or roll, ticks off the men and N.C.O.’s to be warned for the working party. This the orderly-sergeant does by going round to the various barns and personally reading out each man’s name, and on getting the answer, saying, “You’re for working party, 3.15 to-day.” The exact nature of the remarks when he is gone are beyond my province. Only, as an officer taking the party, one knows that at 3.25 p.m. the senior sergeant calls the two lines of waiting “other ranks” to attention, and with a slap on his rifle, announces “Working-party present, Sir,” as you stroll up. Working-parties are dressed in “musketry order” usually--that is to say, with equipment, but no packs; rifles and ammunition, of course, and waterproof sheets rolled and fastened to the webbing belt. The officer then tells the sergeant to “stand them easy,” while he asks one or two questions, and looks once more at “orders” which the senior sergeant has probably brought on parade, and at 3.30, with a “Company-Shern! Slo-o-ope hip! Right-in-fours: form-fórs! Right! By the right, Quick _march_!” leads off his party, giving “March at _ease_, march-easy!” almost in one breath as soon as he rounds the corner. Then there is a hitching of rifles to the favourite position, and a buzz of remarks and whistles and song behind, while the sergeant edges up to the officer or the officer edges back to the sergeant, according to their degree of intimacy, and the working-party is on its way. One working-party I remember very well. We were in billets at ----, and really tired out. It was Nov. 6th, and on looking up my letters I find our movements for the last week had been as follows: Oct. 29th. 9.0 a.m. Moved off from billets. 12.0 midday. Lunch. 3.0 p.m. Arrived in front trenches. Oct. 30th. Front trenches. Oct. 31st. Front trenches. Nov. 1st. Relieved at 3.0 p.m. (The Devons were very late relieving us, owing to bad rain and mud.) 5.30 p.m. Reached billets. Nov. 2nd. Rain all day. Morning spent by men in trying to clean up. Afternoon, baths. Nov. 3rd. 9.0 a.m. Started off for trenches again. It had rained incessantly. Mud terrible. 1.0 p.m. Arrived in front trenches. Nov. 4th. Front trenches. Rained all day. Nov. 5th. 2.30 p.m. Relieved late again. Mud colossal. Billets 5.0 p.m. Nov. 6th. Morning. Cleaning up. Inspection by C.O. Afternoon. SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED WORKING-PARTY. 3.0 p.m.--11.0 p.m.!!