“Nothing of the sort. Wrong again,” replied Vereker, and splashed upon his way.
Both were wearing the Stand-to face, and looked coldly upon Bertram, who was not.
After “Dismiss,” Bertram returned to the Mess banda.
“Good morning, Greene,” said the Major, and:
“Good morning, Greene,” echoed Vereker.
Bertram decided that his not being properly dressed in the matter of the Stand-to face, was overlooked or condoned, in view of his youth and inexperience. . . . The vast metal teapot and a tray of dog-biscuits made their appearance.
“I’m going to have my bloater now,” said Berners, plucking a banana from the weary-looking bunch. “Will someone remind me that I have had it, if I go to take another?”
“I will,” volunteered Augustus. “Any time you pluck a bloater and I hit you on the head three times with the tent-peg mallet, that means ‘Nay, Pauline.’ See?” . . .
“What’s the Programme of Sports for to-day, sir?” asked Berners of the Major, as he cleansed his fingers of over-ripe banana upon Augustus’s silky hair.
“Macke takes a strong Officer’s Patrol towards Muru,” replied the Major. “Halke starts getting the trenches deepened a bit. You can wrestle with commissariat and ammunition returns, and the others might do a bit of parade and physical jerks or something this morning. I’m going to sneak round and catch the pickets on the hop. You’d better come with me, Greene, and see where they’re posted. Tell the Subedar-Major what you want your men to do. Wavell’s taking his people for a march. Murie will be in charge of the fort. . . .”