The officers, leaving the Junior Subaltern in charge, went with one
accord for a long country walk.

Half an hour later Mucklewame arrived at the seat of the deceased
animal's trouble--the seat of most of the troubles of mankind--its
stomach. After a brief investigation, he produced therefrom a small
bag of nails, recently missed from the vicinity of a cook-house in
course of construction in the corner of the yard.

Abandoning the rôle of surgical expert for that of coroner, Mucklewame
held the trophy aloft, and delivered his verdict--

"There, boys! That's what comes of eating your iron ration without
authority!"


III

Here is an average billet, and its personnel.

The central feature of our residence is the refuse-pit, which fills
practically the whole of the rectangular farmyard, and resembles
(in size and shape _only_) an open-air swimming bath. Its abundant
contents are apparently the sole asset of the household; for if you
proceed, in the interests of health, to spread a decent mantle of
honest earth thereover, you do so to the accompaniment of a harmonised
chorus of lamentation, very creditably rendered by the entire family,
who are grouped _en masse_ about the spot where the high diving-board
ought to be.