"Course I don't reely give 'em the 'at, sir," explained the singer, stopping for a moment in his march. "Th' 'at's only bait. But, jest th' same, they 'eaves out the bones an' fat all right. Last night they 'eaved a bone jest back o' me ear. Safest way's fer four o' us tu form a holler square an' so pertect the flanks, so tu speak. Nother thing. Yu 'eard me sing ''Eave out "Littl' Willie"' jest now? Wull, most times I sings it ''Eave out th' Kaisur's dotter,' meanin' Queen Sophy o' Greece, cose she's a rum un fer fair. But knowin' that in th' wardroom it warn't th' custim tu menshun a lydy's nyme in publick like, I brings in Willie insted." "But why celebrate the young Hohenzollern in song at all?" I asked in perplexity. "I don't quite trace the connexion between the 'dead and dying,' and 'bones and fat' and the--the earthly remains of 'Little Willie.'" "I ain't celebratin' 'em," explained "Joe"; "I'm abominatin' 'em, so tu speak. My refrunce is tu the dead an' dyin' sojers th' Kaisur cooks up tu make glysreen frum. I brings in Sophy an' Willie jest tu make 'em feel how they'd like it if 'twas their turn next." Having cleared up this point, "Joe" began to shuffle again. "Nother thing I sing 'em is th' follerin'," he said. "'Eave out all yure bones, bottles, tins, fats, boots and shoes, If yu don't 'eave out you'll be sure to lose-- Cose then I'll pinch th' 'ull blinkin' lot mesel'!" "An' tyke it frum me, I does pinch 'em too," he added, stopping in front of me again. "Likewise, any other reefoose--like ov'ralls an' such left lyin' roun' wher' it 'adn't ought tu be. Sum times they gets 'em back, an' sum times they duzen't. Serves 'em jolly well rite for bein' keerless." At this juncture I began to search my pockets for a piece of paper upon which to jot down the burden of "Joe's" cries. "Never mind, sir," he said cheerily as my hands came up empty, "ther's allus whatev'r yure needin' in th' stayshunary line in my wastepaper dupartment." He threw back the cover of a huge box, and at almost the first grab brought up a scented sheet of pink note paper which--except where some one had written "Dear Kitty--Just a line to tell you I am in the pink and hoping----" followed by a blot, and a grease-spot in the middle--was just as good as new.