of the battalion from his path with his foot, and makes for the
scoring-board. The volunteer marker inadvertently puts the Colonel's
modest score on to the large total of the Adjutant.

At this critical moment an orderly fortunately arrives with a note
from the Brigade office. The Colonel secures the missive, tears the
envelope to shreds, runs his eye over the trivial contents, and
curses the War. He then assumes an air of enormous importance, excuses
himself, and stamps out into the night.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Ancient Heroine_. "IT'S BEEN A TRYIN' TIME FOR ME,
MRS. BLOGGS. MY SAVIN'S-BANK BOOK WAS UP IN LUNNON ALL THROUGH THE
AIR-RAID."]

* * * * *

"It may be the bravery of ignorance that induces us to take
this point of view, but the locality excuses ignorance to
some extent, and the bravery still exists: Ovid has a line
that might be learnt with advantage by our readers--

"'Falliker augurio, spes bona saepe sus.'"--_Nigerian Pioneer_.

We do not recall this line in OVID; but the locality is notoriously
unfavourable to Latin quotation. As HORACE says, _Hic Niger est; hunc
tu, Romane, caveto_.

* * * * *