"Baths will be available for your Company from 2 to 3 P.M. to-morrow."
Bobby stuffed the missive under his air-pillow, and rolled over without a word. M'Gurk withdrew, leaving the door of the hut open.
His next visit was about four o'clock. This time the message said:—
"A Zeppelin is reported to have passed over Dunkirk at 5 P.M. yesterday afternoon, proceeding in a northerly direction."
Bobby informed M'Gurk that he was a fool and a dotard, and cast him forth.
M'Gurk returned at five-thirty, bearing written evidence that the
Zeppelin had been traced as far as Ostend.
This time his Company Commander promised him that if he appeared again that night he would be awarded fourteen days' Field Punishment Number One.
The result was that upon sitting down to breakfast at nine next morning, Bobby found upon his plate yet another message—from his Commanding Officer—summoning him to the Orderly-room on urgent matters at eight-thirty.
But Bobby scored the final and winning trick. Sending for M'Gurk and
Sergeant M'Micking, he said:—
"This man, Sergeant, appears to be unable to decide when a message is urgent and when it is not. In future, whenever M'Gurk is on night duty, and is in doubt as to whether a message should be delivered at once or put aside till morning, he will come to you and ask for your guidance in the matter. Do you understand?"