"By God, I'll do it!" There was no profanity in this assertion. It was
the strongest way he could put it; and we dropped on our knees on the
deck and began to pray. In a minute or two half a dozen others joined
us. Then it seemed as if everybody around us was on his knees; and
then, when I felt the atmosphere of the crowd and the reverence of it,
I called on others to pray; half a dozen others responded, and then
this man, above the roar of the wind through the sails and the
creaking of the boats' davits, prayed to God to make him a new man.

Creedan had been drafted from the ship in a detachment for the front,
and when we met on the desert, we entered into a compact which
stipulated that if either of us fell on the field of battle, the
survivor was to take charge of the deceased's effects, and visit his
people.

The arrival of the troops in England was the occasion for an unusual
demonstration. We were banqueted and paraded, and all kinds of honours
were showered upon us. As we marched through the streets in our
sand-coloured uniforms, we were supposed to be heroes--heroes every
one. What a farce the whole thing seemed to me! Nevertheless, I was
inconsistent enough to actually enjoy whatever the others were
getting.

Having purchased my discharge by the payment of £20 I was at liberty
to leave at my pleasure; I was offered a lucrative position in the
officers' mess which was one of the best in the British Army. This I
accepted and held for a year.

My furlough, after a short visit to Ireland, I spent in Oxford. The