The member, the colonel of the volunteers, and others present, pointed out to Reuben afterwards that the situation was military, not agricultural; but it was characteristic of him to see all situations from the agricultural point of view. His old ideas of an agricultural combine, which had fallen miserably to pieces in '65, now revived in all their strength. He saw East Sussex as a country of organised corn-growing, Odiam at the head. His rather eclectic newspaper reading had impressed him with the idea that England was on the verge of war with one or two European Powers, notably the French, whose ribald gloatings over British disasters stirred up all the fury of the man who had been born within range of the Napoleonic wars and bred on tales of Boney and his atrocities. He was dismayed by the lack of local enthusiasm. He dug up one or two of his own pastures and planted wheat; he even sacrificed ten acres of his precious hops, but nobody seemed inclined to follow his example. The neighbourhood was ornately patriotic, flags flew from the oast-houses at Socknersh, Union Jacks washed to delicate pastel shades by the chastening rain--while the Standard misleadingly proclaimed that the Royal Family was in residence at Burntbarns. On Odiam the boys sang: "Goodbye, Dolly, I must leave you Though it breaks my heart to go-- Something tells me I am wanted At the Front to drive away the foe." Some of them in fact did go. Others remained, and sang: "Good-bye, my Bluebell, farewell to you, One last long look into your eyes of blue-- 'Mid camp-fires gleaming, 'mid shot and shell, I will be dreaming of my own Bluebell." § 11. Quite early in the war David and William walked home in silence after seeing a troop-train off from Rye, then suddenly, when they came to Odiam, shook hands. "It's our chance," said Bill. "We've waited for it long enough." "I couldn't have stood much more, and this will be a good excuse." "The old man 'ull take on no end--wot with his corn-growing plans and that." "Funny how he never seems to think of anything but Odiam." "Strikes me as he's mad--got what you call a fixed idea, same as mad people have." "He's sensible enough--but he's unaccountable hard to live with." "Yes--he's fair made me hate Odiam. I liked the place well enough when I was a little lad, but he's made me sick of it. It's all very well living on a farm and working on it, but when you're supposed to give up your whole life to it and think of nothing else, well, it's too much." "We won't tell him that, though, Davy--we'll make out as it's pure patriotic feeling on our part." "Yes; I don't want him to think we're set on getting away--but, by gum, Bill! we are." "If this war hadn't happened we'd have had to have thought of something else." So they went and broke their news to Reuben. They were careful and considerate--but he was knocked out by the blow. "Going!--both of you!" he cried.