dispute and an exchange of insults and obscenities. When we were all in
bed, no one could stir without causing inconvenience to his neighbours.
A sleepless night, invariably accompanied by the restless impulse to
stir and fidget, was unforgettable misery, but fortunately our work was
so hard that sleepless nights were very rare.

One morning when it was still dark and the others were snoring loudly I
looked at my watch. It was twenty past four. Reveillé would be at
half-past five, so I abandoned myself to more than another hour, so I
thought, of delicious indolence. I closed my eyes and was beginning to
doze and dream again when I heard the flop, flop of heavy feet treading
the mud and slush outside. The canvas of the tent was banged violently
and a voice, which I recognized as that of the Police Corporal, shouted:

"Reveillé--breakfast at 5 o'clock, parade at 5.30 with haversack
rations."

I started up in dismay and shouted:

"It's an hour too early! What's the matter?"

The Corporal answered resentfully:

"Never mind what's the matter--show a leg, and get a move on!"

He passed on to the next tent and repeated his order, and then to the
next, and so on, until his voice grew faint in the distance.

I was full of vexation at being deprived of the extra hour of sleep. I
could not understand why reveillé should be so early, unless it was my