There he was, with his monocle riveted in his right eye, between the frown of his eyebrow and the chubby fatness of his cheek, with the bored expression of one who saw no reason for the necessity of the fatigue which caused the undignified beads of perspiration to assemble on an otherwise unruffled countenance. A pair of kid gloves, buttoned together, were hanging from the belt of his Sam Brown, and four inches of a blue-bordered silk handkerchief dangled from his sleeve. As he approached he half carried on his arm and half dragged along the ground, the burden that was known as his full marching order. "Hello, Septimus!" I said, as he came along, dragging his things behind him. "Ah! Hellow! Well, I'm demned! Never expected to find you here; awfully glad to meet you again." "What are you doing here?" "I'll be demned if I know! Uninteresting spot this--what?" "Well, what have you come here for?" "Nothing much. I saw a fellow in that big dugout in the valley, and he told me to report to you. The fact is, you know, you are attached to me, or I'm attached to you, or something of that sort." "Well, you are not in Havre now; there are snipers about, and if you stand up there like that, you'll get hit." "You don't mean to say so; that seems perfectly safe." "Well, get down, and don't be a fool." He carefully got down into the trench, leaving his equipment behind, probably hoping it would get lost, and we entered the dugout. "I must tell you, captain, I am horribly fatigued. I came through the guns; very interesting and all that, but it's made my head ache." "Have some water. It's rather muddy, but better than nothing these days." "No, thanks; doctor warned me against drinking dirty water; dysentery and all that, don't you know. Any whisky and soda?" "Look here, Septimus, now you are here, you must drop that nonsense." "All right, old thing. I rather doubted the soda, but thank Heaven I've got a flask; a sort of emergency ration. Help yourself and let's drink it neat." "How long have you been in the army, Septimus?" "Three months. Why?" "Like it?" "Not bad. Saluting seems rather absurd; but it seems to please some. I longed to come out; thought it would be interesting and all that sort of thing. But so far I've had nothing to do but get from place to place, carrying a beastly load with me." "Probably your own fault. I have never seen a pack or haversack crammed so full. What have you brought with you?" "Necessaries; but not half what I shall need. Has my kit arrived?" "My dear chap, you will never see your kit up here; and what is more, you will have to leave most of those things you have brought with you behind, before you go up the front line. Dump your things out here, and I will tell you what to take."