War's Brighter Side Part 41

And laughs at 'er soldiers' dress, And connects the word "'Ell" with an orficer, well, Your ballad's a big success.

_Take the slang of the camp (What's easy to vamp) And some delicate soldier wheeze, Call the Guard-room the "Clink,"

And describe any drink As a "Fall in" or "Stand at ease"; Then you mix the 'ole lot And you serve it up 'ot; From ingredients sich as these Form that singular salad A Barrack-room Ballad In Rudyardkiplingese._

THEY WANT MORE OF TOMMY.

BY W. T. R.

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 Sat.u.r.day 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-cla.s.s; 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 s.h.i.+rt 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 circ.u.mstances 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."

I was very pleased with my new-found friend and his outspoken way, and glad to have got rid of an idea that the Colonials didn't take well to Tommy.

CHAPTER XXIII

A COMPLETE NEWSPAPER

_Full of matter which is no longer a tenth as interesting as it was there and then._

Number 21 of THE FRIEND, dated April 10th, was a splendid number for Bloemfontein, and for the time, yet there is nothing to reproduce except an Australian's trooper's poetic salute to the eucalyptus, or gum-trees, that he recognised as fellow inhabitants of his distant land, whence they have been sent to cheer the waste places of California, the American Plains, and all South Africa.

Three solid columns of the paper were justly given up to Mr. Kipling's exposure in the London _Times_ of the treacherous element of the Cape population, and its relations with those neighbours who are honest and loyal subjects of the Queen and with the army. Two columns of "Reuter's" despatches from abroad, one column of similar telegrams from South African points, and a notable leader by Mr. Perceval Landon on Mr. Kipling's article, made up the contents of the reading page.

Mr. Guthrie, M.P., now required two columns of the paper in which to announce the cases and parcels he had in hand for the soldiers. The railway had just delivered to him five truck-loads of those most welcome necessaries and luxuries sent out from home.

THE FRIEND.

(_Edited by the War Correspondents with Lord Roberts' Force._)

No. 21.] BLOEMFONTEIN, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1900. [Price One Penny.

NOTICE.

The Field-Marshal Commanding in Chief having decided that twenty Railway Trucks are to be placed at the disposal of the tradesmen of Bloemfontein for the conveyance of food necessaries, it is requested that those wis.h.i.+ng to take advantage thereof will communicate with the Director of Supplies at his office at the corner of Green Street and Douglas Street, between the hours of 2 and 3 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday next, 11th and 12th inst.

As the amount of truck accommodation will be divided by the Director of Supplies among the various applicants, a statement of the Supplies required as a first consignment must be submitted. When the statements have been received an allotment will be made among the applicants.

OLD FRIENDS.

Gum trees! Here in the Dutchman's land?

(You'll lie of a kangaroo) Seen them?--Yes--Well, I'll understand The truth when I see them too.

Lord!--There they are, by the old brick wall, s.h.i.+ny and green and high, Best of the sights we've seen at all Is this, to a Cornstalk's eye.

Back, by the creeks in the far-off plains; Over the ranges blue; Out in the West where it never rains; We whispered "good-bye" to you.

We left you alone on the high clay banks, On a fringe round the dry lagoon, Where your white trunks gleam by its empty bed In the pale, soft summer noon.

It's carry me back to the Castlereagh, Or pack me along to Bourke; On the Wallaby-track to the west of Hay-- Wherever there's sheds or work.

It's cattle on camp or colts to brand; It's brumbies about the Peel-- It's all we've here of our own good land, And this is the way we feel.

Oh, hurry the show, and give us a lead, And march us beyond the Vaal, For the lambing's near, and the ewes will breed And it's close up time to "tail,"

And we've shearing them, and the wool to load, And the s.h.i.+ps are at Circ'lar Quay-- So loot it along the red Veldt road, A sight for Oom Paul to see.

And when we are back on the Murray lands, Or up in Mouaro hills, You may collar the Fonteins, and Drifts, and Rands, And the Boers will pay the bills.

But we'll be back where the gum-tops wane, Or the Myall hangs and droops; With a good veranda round the house, And none of your dirty stoops.

So hurry it up, for we've work to do In a far better land than here.

We will swap the veldt and the parched Karoo, For the plain and ranges clear.

But we'll never forget, in the days to come, The friends that we've left behind-- For the Dutchman who planted yon tall, white Gum Was a little bit more than kind.

J. H. M. A.

BRAVE YOUNG HIGHLANDERS.

_To the Editors of_ THE FRIEND,--SIRS,--In your Sat.u.r.day's issue an appreciation of the R.A.M.C. appears, in which the _Morning Post_ correspondent speaks of their services as stretcher-bearers at Magersfontein with the Highland Brigade, whereas the R.A.M.C. has furnished no stretcher-bearers to the Highland Brigade, the whole of this dangerous work having been done by the Regimental bearers, and "A" Company Volunteer Ambulance (King William's Town), and as this company--consisting princ.i.p.ally of mere striplings--has "faced the music" right through, and kept shoulder to shoulder with the veterans of the Highland Brigade, they surely should be credited with the work they have so gallantly performed.

Yours very truly, BRITISHER.