The Amateur Army | Page 8

more than a little lucky.
It was necessary that I should attend to business in London, and I set
about making application for a permit of leave. I intended to apply for a
pass dating from 6 p.m. of a Friday evening to 10 p.m. of the following
Sunday. On Wednesday morning I spoke to a corporal of my company.
"If you want leave, see the platoon sergeant," he told me. The platoon
sergeant, who was in a bad temper, spoke harshly when I approached
him. "No business of mine!" he said; "the company clerk will look into
the matter."
But I had no success with the company clerk; the leave which I desired
was a special one, and that did not come under his jurisdiction. "The
orderly sergeant knows more about this business than I do. Go to him
about it," he said.
By Wednesday evening I spoke to the orderly sergeant, who looked
puzzled for a moment. "Come with me to the lieutenant," he said. "He'll
know more about this matter than I do, and he'll see into it. But it will
be difficult to get special leave, you know; they don't like to give it."
"Why?" I asked.
"Why?" he repeated; "what the devil does it matter to you? You're paid
here to do what you're told, not to ask questions."
The lieutenant was courteous and civil. "I can't do anything in the
matter," he said. "The orderly sergeant will take you to the company
officer, Captain ----, and he'll maybe do something for you."
"If you're lucky," said the sergeant in a low whisper. About eight
o'clock in the evening I paraded in the long, dimly-lighted passage that
leads to our company orderly-room, and there I had to wait two hours
while the captain was conducting affairs of some kind or another inside.
When the door was opened I was ordered inside.
"Quick march! Left turn! Halt!" ordered the sergeant as I crossed the

threshold, and presently I found myself face to face with our company
commander, who was sitting by a desk with a pile of papers before
him.
"What is it?" he asked, fixing a pair of stern eyes on me, and I
explained my business with all possible despatch.
"Of course you understand that everything is now subservient to your
military duties; they take premier place in your new life," said the
officer. "But I'll see what I can do. By myself I am of little help.
However, you can write out a pass telling the length of time you require
off duty, and I'll lay it before the proper authorities."
I wrote out the "special pass," which ran as follows:
"Rifleman ---- has permission to be absent from his quarters from 6 p.m.
(date) to 10 p.m. (date), for the purpose of proceeding to London."
I came in from a long march on Thursday evening to find the pass
signed, stamped, and ready. On the following night I could go to
London, and I spent the evening 'phoning, wiring, and writing to town,
arranging matters for the day ahead. Also, I asked some friends to have
dinner with me at seven o'clock on Friday night.
Next day we had divisional exercise, which is usually a lengthy affair.
In the morning I approached the officer and asked if I might be allowed
off parade, seeing I had to set out for London at six o'clock in the
evening.
"Oh! we shall be back early," I was told, "back about three or
thereabouts."
The day was very interesting; the whole division, thousands of men,
numberless horses, a regiment of artillery, and all baggage and
munition for military use took up position in battle formation. In front
lay an imaginary army, and we had to cross a river to come into contact
with it. Engineers, under cover of the artillery, built pontoon bridges for
our crossing; on the whole an intensely interesting and novel

experience. So interesting indeed that I lost all count of time, and only
came to consciousness of the clock and remembrance of friends making
ready for dinner when some one remarked that the hour of four had
passed, and that we were still five miles from home.
I got to my billet at six; there I flung off my pack, threw down my rifle,
and in frenzied haste consulted a railway timetable. A slow train was
due to leave our town at five minutes to seven. I arranged my papers,
made a brief review of matters which would come before me later, and
with muddy boots and heavy heart I arrived at the station at seven
minutes to seven and took the slow train for London.
When I told the story of my adventures at dinner a soldier friend
remarked: "You've been more