"'No, I'm not in the Royal Irish Rifles, but I belong to a good outfit--the Royal Dublin Fusileers, an' I can lick the man that says they ain't. So don't get so damn sharp.' "Just then, from amidships in the ward, came the voice of a stretcher-bearer: "Jones, get the M.O." (Medical Officer). "Hurry up--quick! This poor bloke's a-goin' West." "The man 'oldin' my 'and suddenly let go 'is grip, an' a-risin' to 'is feet, 'urriedly left the ward. There was dead silence 'tween decks. I tried to turn in the direction from which the first voice 'ad come, but the sharp pain in me shoulder warned me that I was on a lee shore. "In a few seconds the door h'opened an' I could 'ear low voices down in the corner. I could see the Tommies around me h'intently gazing in this one direction. Awfter a few minutes the door again h'opened an' closed, an' Jones came back. I looked up at 'im an' 'e solemnly nodded. "One more bloke 'ad gone West for 'is King an' Country. "Me unbandaged lamp suddenly ran into a fog an' sprung a leak, the bilge water runnin' down me side. "The door at the other h'end o' the ward h'opened an' two stretcher-bearers h'entered an' went in the direction o' the dead bloke. Pretty soon they came back with a stretcher in tow on which were a still form covered with a blanket, an' left the ward. The Irishman on me starboard was a-repeatin' to 'imself: "'Poor bloke, poor bloke; 'e sure 'as done 'is bit, an' it won't be long before 'e'll be a-pushin' up the daisies somewhere in Frawnce. An' before this war is h'over there'll be lots more in the same fix, I'm a-thinkin'.' "One o' the Tommies, swankin' to be brave, h'addressed Jones: "'What's 'is nyme, Mike? What battalion is 'e from?' "Jones awnswered: "'James Collins, a Lawnce Corporal out o' the Royal Warwicks; five machine gun bullets through the right lung--'emorrhage.' "The blinkin' door ag'in h'opened, an' two stretcher-bearers h'entered carryin' a Tommy, 'is 'ead lyin' flat, an' the smell of h'ether almost turned me stomick. I knew it were a case from the Pictures" (operating-room). "The stretcher-bearers placed 'im to the starboard o' the Irishman. "Jones now left me, an' gettin' a little white basin, went h'over to the new h'arrival. The Tommies turned h'inquirin' looks in 'is direction. 'E knew what they meant all right, an' read from the tag: "'Shell wound in left foot,--h'amputation.' "I knew that I 'ad lost me prestige.