'Ra-ther. That's a cert. But I don't think it will be for long.'
'You mean that the British will drive the Germans back?'
'Not all at once, but sooner or later. Of course, I'm an awful muff on strategy—always was—but the general idea seems to be that we go over now and stop the bounders, and then our dear old citizens gird up their loins, train themselves as soldiers, and chase the Germans back to Berlin.'
'But—isn't it an open secret that your regular army is very small? Can you seriously expect to stop that huge force once it sweeps through Belgium?'
The Englishman picked up a stone and sent it hurtling across the lawn for the collie to chase.
'Ever play "Rugger"?' he asked.
'Rugby? Yes.'
'Then you've often seen a little chap bring a big one an awful cropper.'
'That is true, but the cases are hardly parallel.'
'Perhaps not,' said the other, rather relieved at not having to maintain the analogy any further; 'but, then, the beauty of being a junior officer is that one doesn't have to worry. I wouldn't be in old man French's shoes for a million quid, but for us subaltern johnnies it looks as if we'll have some great sport.'