VI. TIADATHA’S JOURNEY 42 VII. TIADATHA AT SALONICA 47 VIII. A DAY IN SALONIQUE 53 IX. UP THE LINE 60 X. CARRYING ON 66 XI. TIADATHA’S DUG-OUT 73 XII. TIADATHA’S BATTLE 80 XIII. TIADATHA IN HOSPITAL 88 XIV. THE FIRE 96 XV. SNEVCE WAY 108 XVI. A STUNT AT DAWN 116 XVII. LEAVE TO ENGLAND 123 XVIII. HOME AT LAST 132 THE SONG OF TIADATHA CHAPTER I THE JOINING OF TIADATHA Should you question, should you ask me Whence this song of Tiadatha? Who on earth was Tiadatha? I should answer, I should tell you, He was what we call a filbert, Youth of two and twenty summers. You could see him any morning In July of 1914, Strolling slowly down St. James’s From his comfy flat in Duke Street. Little recked he of in those days, Save of socks and ties and hair-wash, Girls and motor-cars and suppers; Little suppers at the Carlton, Little teas at Rumpelmeyer’s, Little week-ends down at Skindle’s; Troc and Cri and Murray’s knew him, And the Piccadilly grill-room, And he used to dance at Ciro’s With the fairies from the chorus. There were many Tired Arthurs In July of 1914. Then came war, and Tiadatha Read his papers every morning, Read the posters on the hoardings, Read “Your King and Country want you.” “I must go,” said Tiadatha, Toying with his devilled kidneys, “Do my bit and join the Army.” So he hunted up a great-aunt, Who knew someone in the Service, Found himself in time gazetted To a temporary commission In the 14th Royal Dudshires. Straightway Tiadatha hied him To the shop of Bope and Pradley, Having seen their thrilling adverts. In the Tube and in the _Tatler_. Pradley sold him all he needed, Bope a lot of things he didn’t, Pressed upon him socks and puttees, Haversacks and water-bottles. Made him tunics for the winter, Made him tunics for the summer, And some very baggy breeches. There he chose his cap of khaki, Very light and very floppy (Rather like a tam-o’-shanter), And a supple chestnut Sam Browne, Quite a pleasant thing in Sam Brownes, Rather new but very supple.