ROUND THE CAMP FIRE WITH TOMMY ATKINS

Evening Star, Issue 11677, 8 February 1902, Page 1

ROUND THE CAMP FIRE WITH TOMMY ATKINS

“THE LATEST TELEGRAM.” “See the latest, Jack? Twelve o’clock chat just come in.” “No, what’s in’t, Bill; ’nother bloomin’ cuttin’ up ’spect?” “Well, it ain’t; it’s only a yam; ’nother hambush. Them there Boers ain’t bloomin’ dummies, I know; tricky as a box o’ monkeys. Still, it’s only common bloomin’ sense their usin’, when yer looks at it, ain’t it?” “ Too much bloomin’ red tape in this barmy; it should be like heatin' eggs wiv a stick, heatin’ the Boers, if they’d let Tommy have a rub at ’em ’imself, but they won’t. Look ’ere, we’ve got bloomin' generals as couldn't drill a hole in a bully beef tin. I'm a better general than Buffer myself, sent ’im out of the barmy, but they’ll watch sen din’ me out.” “ Yes, your better ’an Buffer; yer can prove it." “But it’s a bloomin’ shame 'bout Buller, all the same.” “Y r es, ’e’s too bloomin’ good to be true." “What are yer tryin’ to give us?* 1 “Fightin’ Mac was too bloomin’ good, too; they sent 'in otne in case ’ed get shot. They don’t know a good man when they get tin.” “ Some say Mac was the best general; others say Buffer, others White; but I say Tommy Atkins is the best general of the bloomin' show, I do.” “ WeD, ’e ain’t; very few generals ‘stack it’ for two years, like a lot of Tommies I know.” “Yes, and slickin’ it yet, but ‘fed up.’” “ Who was’t that the telegram says was cut up?” “Who was’t? Who do you expect; but them there bloomin’ Imperial Yeomanrys do nothin’, and puttin’ good soldiers in the rats, 5s a box, too.” “ They must train ’em to put up their ‘ands and then send ’em up to the front; bloomin’ well trained, too, I say.”