"Gad, Burton, this won't do!" he said. "Bad example to those young innocents" (indicating the subalterns). "Quite like old times at school, eh? But really----"
"How long have you been a captain, Adams?"
"Gazetted a fortnight ago; it came through orders a week later. Must give up skylarking now, you know. Have another drink."
They sat down, compared notes, talked over old times: the conversation became general.
"Trench raids are becoming more common," said Cay presently. "You heard what happened the other day?"
"What was that?"
"The better part of a platoon of the Rutlands is missing. They hold the trenches in front of us, you know. Well, they got up a night raid, and penetrated the Huns' first line: came back with a handful of prisoners and no casualties to speak of. But when they took stock, something over forty men of this platoon were missing."
"They went too far, I suppose, and were cut off. Very bad luck."
"If they're prisoners! Whatever happens to me, I hope I shan't be a prisoner. These raids are the order of the day now; I suppose they're useful. At any rate they give our fellows something to do."
At this moment Burton started as the words "Battery action" came from somewhere in a roar like that of a giant.