And after that he's Captain, and at first Wakes up his company, but as the years go on He slackens, and betimes he wonders If it is not time to chuck it, as it were. A Major then, and now bestrides a "gee," Thanking his lucky stars the "double" does No longer make him gasp. Lastly, the Colonel, sporting the bold V.D., Wishing to goodness he had not to put His hand to pocket to such great extent; but dreading, all the same, The time when he must, in the course of things, Retire. [Illustration: (7)] [Illustration] WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. "I would like to get 'old of some of the gentry as writes to the papers on warlike topics," said "Tiny" to the world at large, "more especially them that takes the Volunteers under their special care. I would unfold me mind to them. Now 'ere's one of 'em as 'olds the opinion that shootin's _everything_, an' 'e quotes the opinion of a furriner who 'as bin through the war an' ses the first thing a soldier needs is to shoot well, an' the next thing is to shoot well, an' the last thing is to shoot well. Now that's all right, but me worthy friend misses the first point, which is that it refers to a _soldier_, an' not a civilian. So 'e jumps off from the wrong place to start with. 'Then,' ses 'e, 'teach 'em to shoot, an' take 'em down to the carefully selected position an' 'ave the distances marked off, an' the Boers 'ave taught us that under these circumstances good rifle shots is a match for trained troops.' Now there's where 'e run's the wrong side of the post. In the fust place this 'ere country ain't the Transvaal, an' what 'ud be first rate out there 'ud be all wrong 'ere; an' in the nex' place, _is_ it just by good shootin' the Boers 'ave done what they 'ave? Don't think I despise shootin', but drivin' comfortable to the range an' gettin' up to the firin' line is two different things. [Illustration: The Firing Exercise. Our own thoughtful Subaltern has carefully studied the new firing positions, and has also read that "methods must be improvised for utilizing the fire of two or even more ranks," and, by the above arrangement, he hopes to fulfil both conditions.]