‘I rather wanted to see you alone, sir. I don’t like butting in, where there are a lot of sergeant-majors. They probably won’t like it either, and to tell you the truth I don’t much care about leaving Corporal Tozer sitting in the tent. After all I shall have to tell him where I’m going.’

‘Oh, that’s all rot. I’ll make it right with the sergeant-majors, after all I’m running this show, and I don’t see why I shouldn’t please myself once in a bloody while. You weren’t so particular at Tregelly, when you pinched a sergeant’s great-coat and came into the sergeant’s mess of the fifth-sixth with us that Sunday. Where’s the difference? Bring Tozer along with you, he’s in orders for an extra stripe, and we can make the excuse that he has only come along to wet it. Sergeant Robinson is to be company-sergeant-major. Poor Glasspool was pretty badly damaged, I hear. Tell Sergeant Tozer I told you to bring him.’

‘You tell him, sir, and tell him to bring me. It will look much better that way; and he’s an awfully decent chap. I don’t want a commission. But I wanted to give you a tip on the quiet. I don’t know yet whether it is worth bothering about, but has that old colour-sergeant in the orderly-room got any grudge against you?’

‘My good bloody man, every incompetent ass in the battalion has got a grudge against me. What’s his trouble?’

‘Oh, I don’t know enough to say; I have just put one or two things together. Probably I hear a good many things you don’t; but if he hasn’t any motive, then it is not worth while giving a thought to the matter.’

‘You leave the motive to me. What’s the game?’

‘Well, they say that with the Colonel and the Adjutant both gone, and with the Major not entirely pleased with Captain Malet as adjutant, he may be able to find or make an opportunity. If I were in your place. …’

‘Well, I don’t mind hearing your advice, even if I shouldn’t take it.’

‘Don’t anticipate him, and don’t try to get in first. Let the orderly-room do its own work, instead of trying to run the whole show yourself. And if you must quarrel with him quarrel on a point of your own choosing, not on one of his. He’s pretty cunning, and he has got you weighed up.’

‘So have you, apparently. I thought the bugger was being a little more oily than usual. Anyway, thanks for the tip. I shall tell Sergeant Tozer to bring you along with him.’

He walked off, and Bourne went back to Shem and Martlow.

Several of the company-sergeant-majors and quartermaster-sergeants were with the regimental when Sergeant Tozer, whose new rank sat a little stiffly on him as yet, came up on some routine duty; and the regimental used the opportunity to make them consenting parties to his invitation.

‘I’m damned glad your promotion has gone through, Sergeant. Come along to us after the rum issue tonight and wet the stripe for luck. Bring Bourne with you, if you like. None of you fellows mind if Sergeant Tozer brings Bourne along, do you? He’s quite a decent chap. Plays the game you know, so it won’t matter for once in a way. That’s all right, then; bring him along, Sergeant. Bourne and I became rather pally at Tregelly; of course at a musketry camp you all muck in together more or less. I was his instructor, and when he came out here and found I was regimental, you might have thought he’d never seen me before in his life. You may tell him privately, if you like, Sergeant, that Captain Malet wants him to go for a commission. Said he was a damned useful man.’