THE "TERRIERS"

Evening Star, Issue 15729, 17 February 1915, Page 1

THE "TERRIERS"

AX APPKECIATIOX. [By Eudyaed Kipling, in the London ' Telegraph.'] One had known the place for vears as a picturesque old house-, standing in a peaceful park; had watchtd the growth of certain young oaks along a new-laid avenue, and applauded the owner's enterprise in turning a stretch of pasture to plough. There are scores of such estates in England which the motorist, through passing so often, comes to look upon almost .v his_own. In a single day the braekened turf between the oaks and the iron read-fence blossomed into tents, and the drives were all cut up with hoofs and wheels. A little later one's car, sweeping home of warm September nights, was stopped _by sentries, who a&kc-d her name and business ; for the owner of that retired hous-e and discreetly-wooded park had gone elsewhere in haste, and his estate was taken over by the military. Later etill one met men and horses, arguing with each ether for miles about that country side; or the car would be dung on her brakes by artillery issuing from cros-s lanes—clean batteries jingling ofi to their work on the downs, and Hungry ones coming back to meals. Every day brought the men and the horses aua the weights behind them to a better understanding, til! iii a little while the ear could pass a quarter of a mile of them without having to hoot more than once.

"Why are you so virtuouss"' she asked of a section encountered at a blind and brambiy corner. " Why do you obtrude your personality Jess than an average, tax-cart?" " Because."' said a driver, his arm flung up to keep the untrimmed hedge from sweeping his rap off. " because, those are, our blessed orders. We don't do it for love"."' No one accuses the gunner of maudlin, affection for anything except his beasts and his weapons. lie hasn't the time. Ho serves at least three jealous gods—his horse and al! its saddlery and harness, his gun (whoso least detail of efficiency is more important than men's lives!, and when these, have been attended to the never-ending mystery of his art commands him.

It ' was a wettish, windy day when I visited the so long-known house, and park. Cock pheasants ducked in and out of trim rhododendron clumps, iic-at gates opened into sacredly-preserved vegetable, gardens, the many-colored leaves of specimen trees, pasted themselves stickily asrainst sadden tent walls, and there, was a, mixture, of circus smells from the horse lines and the faint, civilised breath of chrysanthemums in the potting sheds. The main drive was being relaid with a foot of flint ; the other approaches weie. churned and pitted under the gun wheels and heavy .supply waggons. Great breadths of whal had been well-kept turf between unbrowsed trees were blanks of slippery brown wetness, dotted with picketed horses and field kitchens. It was a crazy mixture of stark necessity and luxury, all < heek by jowl, in the undi*criminating rain. —Service Conditions.— The cookhouses, store rooms, forces, and workshops were collections of tilts, poles, rick-cloths, and old lumber, beavered together as on service. The officer a' niers was a thin, soaked marquee. Less than a hundred yards away were do7/ens of vacant, well-furnished rooms in the bit? brick house, of which the Staff furtively occupied 01;'; rorii.T. There was a."-"in liiodatioii for very many men in its stables and outhouses ai<>ne, or the whole, building might have been gutted and rearranged for barracks twice over in the. last, throe mouths. .S altered among tho tents were rows of half-built tin scheds, the ready-prepared lumber and the corrugated iron lying beside, them ready to Iw pieced to-eiher like children's toys. Rut there were, no workmen. I was fold that they came that morning, but had knocked oil because it was wet. " I see. And where are the. batteries?" I demanded. "Out at work, of course. They've been out since seven." "Bow shocking! In this dreadful weather, too!" "They took sonic bread and eho-ve wish then). They'll He back about dinner time if von care to wait, Here'; one of cur field kitchens." Batteries look after their own stomach?, and are. not eateiej for by coutiactors. 'J he cookhouse wi> a. waggon, till. '1 he wood, being damp, smoked a. good deal. One thought .if the wide, adequate kjtc!iw! ranges and Ihe com y.Jc pas-ages of 1h« trice, quarter:; in the big hou-e, ju.-t behind. One eve,-! dated to think toutoni-c.-tllv of tho perfectly good panelling and the'thick haidivoo'l floors that, .• ould—■'Service condition?, yin -c\" e. iid my meats and the men inside the waggon tilt grated the carrot.-, and pi 'pared ihe onions. It was old work if. them after :,!; these months—dmtc .-■wittly, with tho Henri economy of eifon that camp life t'-aelK-:-. " "Whal are these lad* when tlvy'io. ■>' home?'' ! inquired. " Londoners cliiellv- all f-oji- and condi tictlf."' 'Flu- Co-); in .-Jii.-r ,-JecrcK made anoibe; lnvcsligaiion ,u,d i- nilY-. <1 judiciously. Ik n;'-hl, had- been cooking .-nice (in- j?*r,!n sahu. He looked at his watch ate! aerost t-'wardi-j tir- park -a'-v. I To. was .wponsible for 16'.'* latino*, .and a. battery bar ten habit of raying on:!'- all inat it flunk/ '■ How often do the batteries gc out?" I continued. " 'Don! tire day- a. wck. You fee, we'r- neing worked up a little." "And have lie-v got. Himlv <f ground in work over?" -Oh—yes ■.-.'* " Wiiat's liic diliicuity mis time' Buds':" "No; but- we got, order? the othei dav not to go over a- golf course. Thai rather knocks the bottom out of tactical sch r 'inec.' Perfect. shatiielee-'i.e.-s, like jeifeot, v'i'tue, i s impregnable; and. after all, lib-, lightnings of ibis war. which havo bioitjn out so much K'.-olve and selfsacrilice, 'must, sliow up equally certain t-otils and institutions that ar<> irredeemable. The, weath-er took off a little before, noon. The carpenlfTs could have put in a good half-dav's woik (!) the sleds, and even if they had k'-u ranwd upon they had roofs with tires awaiting He-ir lettnn. The butteries had none of ihoe thing-. Here endeth the It'ir.vt I'---on. (To be continued.!