I spent a pleasant convalescence, and joined the 7th (Reserve) Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers, stationed at Alnwick under Lieutenant-Colonel J. Gillespie, T.D., at the end of January 1916, having been passed for light duty. I continued to make progress, and was enabled, after a time, to attend a musketry course at Strensall, and a general one at Cannock Chase. Altogether I was awarded £250 compensation for my wounds, and I am glad to state that I am now in a position to repay the Government all the money spent on me by personal service, and leave home to-morrow, _en route_ to rejoin the old first line of the 7th in Flanders. There I hope I may be enabled to partake in those final great victories which will bring about the ruin and destruction of that plague-spot which has arisen on God’s fair earth, the German Empire. PRESS BUREAU: PASSED FOR PUBLICATION. _‘SWEEP’ VILLERS._ BY ARNOLD LUNN. Before Villers had been a month at school he had betrayed his master passion. He discovered that his housemaster was expecting an heir. Delicacy was not Villers’ strong point, and he at once proceeded to organise a sixpenny sweepstake among the fags. He took no chances, as Knox who drew ‘triplets’ discovered. Villers, himself, drew a blank, but he bought ‘assorted twins’ from Mixon Minor for ninepence, and Villers was, perhaps, the only person who was really pleased when Mrs. Strange presented her husband with—assorted twins: to wit, a thriving boy and girl. ‘Sweep’ Villers, as he was speedily christened, was no good at games, but despite this handicap he soon made a position for himself in the house. Villers was a ‘card,’ to borrow Mr. Bennett’s pet word, and boys will forgive much to a genuine ‘card.’ Betting and sweepstakes were the two main interests of his life. It was, of course, too risky to bet on racing save in an informal fashion with his young friends, but Villers contrived to get a good deal of amusement without troubling London bookmakers. Villers regarded Providence as a kind of super-bookie and the future as the raw material for bets. Sweepstakes were his main diversion, but he was always ready for a wager. He lost no chances. When Allen, a house prefect, was just on the point of giving Villers a few flicks with a cane for ‘cutting’ fag duty, Villers, who had assumed the orthodox position, glanced over his shoulder and remarked, ‘Bet you a bob, Allen, I don’t get up between the shots.’ ‘I’ll take you,’ said Allen grimly, ‘but I shall give you an extra two for cheek.’ ‘However,’ as Villers afterwards confided to an admiring circle, ‘I scored all along the line. Allen was so keen to win his bet that he lost his length after the first shot. He didn’t keep his eye on the ball. He began to press, and, instead of four beefy drives, he could only manage six regular foozles. And I won my bob.’