Victoria: Sir Charles Holled Smith's term of office as Commandant had expired shortly before the inauguration of Federation, and the post was held by my old friend General Downes, who, on his retirement finally from the South Australian Command, had settled in Melbourne, and had been requested by the Victorian Government to take on the duties of Commandant temporarily. Queensland: Major-General Finn, seconded from the 21st Hussars. South Australia: I was still Commandant. Western Australia: Colonel Francis. Tasmania: Colonel Legge, (late) Royal Artillery. Pending the expiration of the terms of service of Generals French and Finn in New South Wales and Queensland the first important vacancy to be filled was that of Commandant of Victoria, held temporarily by General Downes. This was offered to me and I accepted it. When the appointment was announced Kingston was the first to send for me to congratulate me. I felt, indeed, short of words to thank him for what he had done for me. I owed so much of my success to him. He was kind enough to say "that he could honestly assure me that if my work had not been satisfactory I would not have had his support and that of his colleagues and Parliament; that he was sorry I was leaving South Australia, and he would prophesy still higher promotion for me in the future." These words, coupled with the fact that I was once more to follow my old friend General Downes's footsteps and _occupy his chair_ as Commandant of Victoria, set me thinking. I certainly could not follow General Downes again to higher positions; his retirement from active military work was final. It was useless to seek for a second "vision," but it was in my power to renew the resolution I made years previously, and, remembering Gordon of Khartoum's maxim, "Never allow your pleasure to interfere with your duty," I fully determined there and then not to rest until I had reached the highest position in the military forces of the Commonwealth, and justified Kingston's prophecy. On being elected to the Federal Parliament Kingston severed his connexion with the South Australian Government. It was not long before he made his mark as a member of the Federal Cabinet. The influence of his strong personality, his high attainments and sincere belief in the splendid future of the young Commonwealth, marked him as a coming Prime Minister. When this reward seemed to be within his grasp a serious illness overtook him. After a long spell of enforced idleness he returned to Parliament. He was a changed man. His constitution had been impaired beyond recovery. A relapse followed which resulted fatally. A great man cut off in the prime of his life--regretted by all--a loss to the Commonwealth. CHAPTER II COMMANDANT OF VICTORIA