"You always as keen in handling Hun war material?" asked H. of a burly Londoner of the old Regulars, who strolled toward us from the siding.
"Sometimes we are, sir; sometimes we ain't."
"You couldn't have done a better morning's work in a munitions factory at home."
"That's right. We done a good mornin's work."
"But these are Hun aeroplanes, man. What the——"
"As yew remark, sir, they're 'Un airerplanes. But I doubt if they'll ever fly."
Then we guessed. He amplified the guesses with details.
"Yus; we does er bit er wreckin'—sabbertage, as yer might say. We carry things across to that 'ere sidin', and nobody can say as we don't bee-ave beeyewtiful till we gets there. Then we open er box er two, see what's inside, and proceed according to reggerlations. Crimernul, I calls it….
"That 'ere sidin's useful place. Aht er the way, yer know. The Boches don't go there. 'Course, if any Boches er near, we resoom ligitimite operations till they've 'opped it. Turks? We don't let 'em see neither if we can 'elp it. Wuncertwice Turkish askas 've seen us at play, but they only larf. They 'ate the 'Uns a blurry sight more'n we do. Why, I remember when a coupler Turks 'elped in the good work one mornin'.
"Guns and airerplanes is 'andiest," he continued. "Yer see, when we 'ave the breech-block uv a gun it don't need long to take aht some gadget or other, accordin' as the gunners with us sez. Airerplanes we attack mostly on the longeerongs—those ribs o' wood that runs dahn the length uv the body, ain't they? English pilot 'oo passed dahn the line some months ergo giv' us the tip. 'Course, we give the other parts a bit uv attention—wires and sechlike….