O. thinks fit, choose its own men--all same one-piecee club. All our
companies are R.C.'s, and as the battalion is making up a few vacancies
ere starting once more on the wild and trackless 'heef' into the Areas,
the Linesman is here in force to-day sucking up to our non-coms."
"Would some one mind explaining to me the meaning of every other word
you've used," I said. "What's a trackless 'heef'? What's an Area? What's
everything generally?" I asked.
"Oh, 'heefs' part of the British Constitution," said the Boy. "It began
long ago when they'd first mapped out the big military manoeuvring
grounds--we call 'em Areas for short--where the I. G. spend two-thirds of
their time and the other regiments get their training. It was slang
originally for beef on the hoof, because in the Military Areas two-thirds
of your meat-rations at least are handed over to you on the hoof, and you
make your own arrangements. The word 'heef' became a parable for camping
in the Military Areas and all its miseries. There are two Areas in
Ireland, one in Wales for hill-work, a couple in Scotland, and a sort of
parade-ground in the Lake District; but the real working Areas are in
India, Africa, and Australia, and so on."
"And what do you do there?"
"We 'heef' under service conditions, which are rather like hard work. We
'heef' in an English Area for about a year, coming into barracks for one
month to make up wastage.
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