"And you 'aven't seen the melin-'ouse," concluded that worthy,
enthusiastically waving his remaining arm in the direction of a far
shrubbery.

"Melin-'ouses in Febuary is lugoobrious," said the Gunner; "we'll
remain at the chatoo."

Kippy sat down on the top step.

"Curious," he said, "to think there ain't no war on. Makes you feel
idle. Remember that day at Coolomeers (Coulommiers), when we first got
interdooced?" The Gunner nodded. "'Bout a thousand years ago that was,
an' not 'alf a beano--'orse, foot and guns; no stinks, no blinkin'
fireworks and old VON KLUCK gettin' 'ome pronto."

"Yes," his companion said slowly, as he lowered himself to sit beside
Kippy, "that was September '14. I took my first knockout there, an'
then clicked with you again in Southmead 'Ospital at Bristol."

"An'," Kippy took up the tale, "we come together agen at the end o'
'15 in the old salient at Wipers, an' in '16 we was foregathered on
the Somme. That's where I got my first dose of Fritz's gas. Put me in
Blighty three months, that did; an' I won the ten-stone clock-golf
putting championship of 'Ereford."

"Yes," said the Gunner ruminatively, "we've had to handle all sorts
in this show; wy, I've played a game called Badminton with a real
princess a-jumpin' about t'other side of the net. O' course it ain't
discipline."