Being among a group of Australians the other day, I noticed them watching the Guards drill, and, as they seemed to be interested, I thought it a good opportunity of getting their ideas of Thomas Atkins. With the object in view, I engaged one of them in conversation. I ventured a remark on the drill. "Oh, yes, they drill all right," said the Australian, "but you see they get a bit too much of it, I think; I mean as regards the goose-step business. You know, we Australians," he went on, "never have too much of that. It may give a man more steadiness in marching on parade, but we don't have many show parades during the year, Queen's Birthday being the most important." "How often do you drill there?" I asked. "Well, you see--of course I'm speaking of New South Wales. There we have about twenty-five half day drills during the year. These take place on a Saturday afternoon. Out of these they take sixteen and give us an encampment at Easter. It is at this encampment that we receive the most good as regards learning our work. I was almost forgetting the annual Musketry Course, when we get through our firing. Of course, we have plenty of firing practice on our other parades as well." "How did you chaps come to be sent to Africa?" I asked. "Oh! we all volunteered," he replied, "and a great job they had of it in selecting the men to come. So many wanted to come and so many were disappointed, and I can tell you that if they would only send them, there's thousands who would come. Why, to give you an idea of it, do you know there are men in the ranks who are worth thousands, and some of the highest families are represented in the war in the ranks?" "How do you get on with the soldiers from home?" "Oh, we get on first-class; but what we would like is more opportunity of mixing with them and becoming better acquainted. You see, there's so much work to be done that we don't get a chance to mix together. Down at the Modder where we did get a bit chummy, Tommy would have done anything for us. He would have given us the shirt off his back if we'd wanted it, and we can't help liking him, as the song used to say, because you can't beat him down. No matter in what circumstances you find him he's always in a good humour and ready for what's coming next. You can see him in rags that used to be in khaki, and you can see him just after he has received his kit-bag and he's always the same. He seems to have plenty of money and spends it just as readily as if he had the Bank of England behind him. But I think if you want to see him in one of his happiest moments, you want to look at him when he is carrying a bag of bread and other treasures out of Bloemfontein." "Then you Australians rather like Tommy?" I said. "Like him? Of course we do. We've fought alongside of him, and what we want is more of him--that's all. You know, we want to show the world that we are all one, no matter what part of the world we Britons come from, and we're going to do it, too."