Sergeant—“Now, then, don’t you know how to hold a rifle?”
Recruit—“I’ve run a splinter in me finger.”
Sergeant (exasperated)—“Oh, you ’ave, ’ave you? Bin scratchin’ yer ’ead, I suppose?”
HIS SOLE REASON
As the sergeant was bawling out his orders and watching the line of feet as the raw recruits endeavored to obey the word of command, he found to his astonishment that one pair of feet—more noticeable on account of their extra large size—never turned.
Without taking his eyes off these feet the sergeant bawled out, “About turn!”
He could see that all the feet except those he watched turned in obedience. Rushing up to the owner, a little fellow, he seized him by the shoulder, shouting:
“Why don’t you turn with the rest?”
“Why, I did,” replied the trembling recruit.