S. corps), it can sneak into
the Channel or the Home Fleet and do a cruise round England or to Madeira
or the North Sea. The regiment, of course, is distributed among the ships,
and the Fleet dry nurse 'em. It rather breaks up shore discipline, but it
gives the inland men a bit of experience, and, of course, it gives us a
fairish supply of men behind the gun, in event of any strain on the Fleet.
Some coast corps make a specialty of it, and compete for embarking and
disembarking records. I believe some of the Tyneside engineerin' corps put
ten per cent of their men through the Fleet engine rooms. But there's no
need to stay talking here all the afternoon. Come and see the I.G. in his
lair--the miserable conscript driven up to the colours at the point of the
bayonet."
PART II
The great hall was emptying apace as the clocks struck two, and we passed
out through double doors into a huge reading and smoking room, blue with
tobacco and buzzing with voices.
"We're quieter as a rule," said the Boy. "But we're filling up vacancies
to-day. Hence the anxious faces of the Line and Militia. Look!" There were
four tables against the walls, and at each stood a crowd of uniforms. The
centres of disturbance were noncommissioned officers who, seated, growled
and wrote down names.
"Come to my table," said Burgard. "Well, Purvis, have you ear-marked our
little lot?"
"I've been tellin' 'em for the last hour we've only twenty-three
vacancies," was the sergeant's answer.
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