WEATHER."]

* * * * *

DEMOBILISATION.

THE SITUATION MADE CLEAR.

"It is quite clear," said the Adjutant, "that Second-Lieut. X must
stay."

"Of course," said the G.O.C. Demobs, or, as he is more often called,
"Mobbles." "He stays because he doesn't go."

"Yes," said the Adjutant's child full, like the elephant's child, of
insatiable curiosity, "X stays because he is retained for selection
until he is selected for retention, or, to put it more clearly, he
belongs to a class which could go if it had any reason for going and
if it wanted to go and wasn't retained as eligible or wasn't eligible
for retention. In other words he is in one of the two classes--those
who are available to go and those who are eligible to stay."

"Or, conversely," said Mobbles, "those who are available to stay and
those who are eligible to go."

"Exactly," said the Adjutant; "but which?"

"The other," said the Adjutant's child. "Now, if he was only in the
same boat as Y, the position would be different. Y is here because,
though eligible for release, he is available for retention."