On July 1st, 1916, the regiment, in company with several other
regiments and sundry pieces of ordnance, attacked the Hun in the
neighbourhood of the river Somme. A fortnight later the officers of
B Company found themselves in a dug-out in a certain wood. It is now
time to introduce Joshua.

Joshua was at that time our junior subaltern, and we called him Joshua
after Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS, on account of his artistic attainments,
though portraits by the hand of our Joshua tended rather more in the
direction of caricature than those I have seen by his illustrious
namesake. Upon the wall of that dug-out in that wood, for instance,
was displayed a crude though unmistakable portrait of our revered
Brigadier, a fact of which we were but too conscious when our revered
Brigadier paid us one night an unexpected visit.

A short conversation ensued, during which the Brigadier gave rein to
a reprehensible passion he had for inquiring into the _vie intime_ of
junior officers. Just as he was leaving he turned to Joshua.

"Why do they call you 'Joshua'?" he asked. Joshua hesitated. His eyes
rested for an infinitesimal moment on the portrait on the wall, then
on the face of the Brigadier. He cursed me inwardly (as he told me
afterwards) for having addressed him by this name in such strident
tones just as the Brigadier was entering the dug-out; but for the
credit of the British Officer I am happy to say that Joshua kept his
head and showed that ready wit in an emergency which is the soldier's
greatest virtue.

"Well, Sir," he said, "I--I think it's because JOSHUA was a great
warrior."