“You bet he's all right,” said Sergeant Mackay, “and he's gettin' in his work with the boys.”
“What do you mean, 'gettin' in his work'?” enquired the pioneer sergeant.
“Oh, well, you know,” said Sergeant Mackay awkwardly, “he's makin' 'em think a lot different about things. I know he has 'em tied up all right in their language.” And this was as near to a confession of faith as the sergeant cared to go.
“Oh, I can see a difference myself up the line,” said the pioneer sergeant. “The boys used to get out of his way. He used to jump on 'em something fierce. You remember?”
“Huh-uh!”
“Well, they just love to have him drop in now and they tell him things. I saw Corporal Thom the other night showin' him his girl's picture, and the Pilot thought she was a fine girl too, and got her address down, and said he was going to write her and tell her what a fine chap the corporal was, and you ought to see Corporal Thom swell up until he 'most bust his tunic.”
“Oh, I know the corporal's dippy about the Pilot,” said Sergeant Mackay.
“Yes, and the officers, too,” said the pioneer sergeant. “There's Captain Duff. Well, you know what a holy terror he is.”
“He's all right,” said Sergeant Mackay stoutly. “He was my chief for about a month here, and he was the first one to get this transport licked into shape, you bet.”
“I'm not saying anything against Captain Duff, but he was a roughneck, you know well enough, and I guess he hadn't much use for the Pilot.”