"What's this? They were given out yesterday. What's the meaning of this, sergeant?"
"That's right, sir!" I said.
The captain raised his voice.
"Hands up! in the 11th and 12th those who've got no needles or thread."
Three or four arms, then seven, eight, ten, were raised.
"Extremely important! Tears are not rare occurrences in the field, nor are burst buttons. And if you've nothing to mend them with! A pair of trousers which won't keep up, means a man out of action!"
He went on to the next man, Judsi!
"Got your body belt?"
Judsi shook his head grotesquely.