Tietjens said:
"If you would not mind, sir, not going on . . ."
The general stamped to a halt in his stride. He said:
"Eh? . . . What's that? What's the matter with you?"
Tietjens said:
"I had a man killed on me last night. In this very hut; where I'm sitting is the exact spot. It makes me . . . It's a sort of . . . Complex, they call it now. . . ."
The general exclaimed:
"Good God! I beg your pardon, my dear boy. . . . I ought not to have . . . I have never behaved like that before another soul in the world. . . . Not to Buller. . . . Not to Gatacre, and they were my closest friends. . . . Even after Spion Kop I never. . . ." He broke off and said: "But those old memories won't interest you. . . ." He said: "I've such an absolute belief in your trustworthiness. I know you won't betray what you've seen. . . . What I've just said. . . ." He paused and tried to adopt the air of the listening magpie. He said: "I was called Butcher Campion in South Africa, just as Gatacre was called Backacher. I don't want to be called anything else because I've made an ass of myself before you. . . . No, damn it all, not an ass. I was immensely attached to your sainted mother. . . ." He said: "It's the proudest tribute any commander of men can have. . . . To be called Butcher and have your men follow you in spite of it. It shows confidence, and it gives you, as commander, confidence! . . . One has to be prepared to lose men in hundreds at the right minute in order to avoid losing them in tens of thousands at the wrong! . . ." He said: "Successful military operations consist not in taking or retaining positions, but in taking or retaining them with a minimum sacrifice of effectives. . . . I wish to God you civilians would get that into your heads. The men have it. They know that I will use them ruthlessly—but that I will not waste one life. . . ." He exclaimed: "Damn it, if I had ever thought I should have such troubles, in your father's days . . .!" He said: "Let's get back to what we were talking about . . . My memorandum to the secretary. . . ." He burst out: "My God! . . . What can that fellow think when he reads Shakespeare's When all those heads, legs, arms, joined together on the Last Day shall . . . How does it run? Henry V's address to his soldiers . . . Every subject's body is the king's . . . but every subject's soul is his own. . . . And there is no king, be his cause ever so just. . . . My God! My God! . . . as can try it out with all unspotted soldiers. . . . Have you ever thought of that?"
Alarm overcame Tietjens. The general was certainly in disorder. But over what? There was not time to think. Campion was certainly dreadfully overworked. . . . He exclaimed:
"Sir, hadn't you better! . . ." He said: "If we could get back to your memorandum . . . I am quite prepared to write a report to the effect of your sentence as to the French civilian population's attitude. That would throw the onus on me. . . ."