"Not very grand--not very grand--not for two or three days. Soon get used to it, though. Only things I don't care about now are those Jack Johnsons. Long Toms out in South Africa--now Jack Johnsons--funny names--" and he went into a roar. Then leaning forward and, to make sure of one's attention, sawing the air with a hand that held perhaps the longest used handkerchief ever seen, "I seen 'em make a hole where you could 'ave put two 'underd and fifty horses. Don't think I shall ever get to like 'em. Yu don't take no notice o' rifle fire after a little--not a bit o' notice. I was out once with a sapper and two o' the Devons, fixin' up barbed wire--bullets strikin' everywhere just like rain. One o' the Devons, he was sittin' on a biscuit-tin, singin': 'The fields were white wi' daisies'--singing. All of a sudden he goes like this--" And giving a queer dull "sumph" of a sound, he jerked his body limp towards his knees--"Gone! Dig a hole, put 'im in. Your turn to-morrow, perhaps. Pals an' all. Yu get so as yu don't take no notice." On the face of the broad, placid girl with the baby against her breast the shadow seemed printed a little deeper, but she did not wince. The tiny baby on his knees woke up and crowed faintly. He smiled. "Since I been out there, I've often wished I was a little 'un again, like this. Well, I made up my mind when first I went for a soldier, that I'd like to 'ave a medal out of it some day. Now I'll get it, if they don't get me!" and he laughed again: "Ah! I've 'ad some good times, an' I've 'ad some bad times----" "But never a time like this?" "Yes, I reckon this has about put the top hat on it!" and he nodded his head above the baby's. "About put the top hat on! Oh! I've seen things--enough to make your 'eart bleed. I've seen a lot of them country people. Cruel it is! Women, old men, little children, 'armless people--enough to make your 'eart bleed. I used to think of the folk over 'ere. Don't think English women'd stand what the French and Belgian women do. Those poor women over there--wonderful they are. There yu'll see 'em sittin' outside their 'omes just a heap o' ruins--clingin' to 'em. Wonderful brave and patient--make your 'eart bleed to see 'em. Things I've seen! There's some proper brutes among the Germans--must be. Yu don't feel very kind to 'em when yu've seen what I've seen. We 'ave some games with 'em, though"--he laughed again: "Very nervous people, the Germans. If we stop firin' in our lines, up they send the star shells, rockets and all, to see what's goin' on--think we're goin' to attack--regular 'lumination o' fireworks--very nervous people. Then we send up some rockets on our side--just to 'ave some fun--proper display o' fireworks." He went off into a roar: "Must 'ave a bit o' fun, you know." "Is it true they can't stand the bayonet?" "Yes, that's right--they'll tell yu so themselves--very sensitive, nervous people."