Chapter 10 No.10

Ginger and Tosher, with an escort, of which I formed part, were before the colonel. The Old Man, I could see, was pained and sad. This was the first real 'dust-up' in the school. Blase-Bones gave his evidence. Then the colonel sorrowfully raised his head, and quietly asked, 'Well, men, what have you got to say?'

'I regret, sir, committing a breach of discipline,' said Ginger, 'but my old officers in my own regiment never addressed me in such a manner. Lieutenant Blase-Bones apparently has a contempt for the New Army. I belong to the First Hundred Thousand, and I decline to be treated in this way. The commission is nothing to me, sir, and I desire to be returned to my battalion. This officer has not heard a shot fired in the war.'

Blase-Bones turned ghastly white.

'Is that all you have to say?' inquired the 'com.'

'Yes, sir.'

'And your defence?' he asked Tosher.

'I'm just real sorry, colonel, to waste your time. But since this foolish boy blew into our shack, there's been nothing but gaw-damns and muttered revolution. Why, sir, we were the happiest bunch of kids in the British Army when Old Bobby Blessem was boss of the show.'

'You mean Lieutenant Blessem, I presume,' said the colonel, correcting him.

'I guess you're right, colonel; but you know in the Western world we talk free and mean no offence.'

'I quite understand,' answered the C.O. tactfully. 'Go on.' There was a twinkle in the corner of the C.O.'s eyes.

'I'm a Canadian, sir. I'm here to give the Old Land a lift against these blasted Huns. But I ain't here to be knocked around by flannel-headed hobos.'

'Just a minute, Johnson,' said the colonel. 'I am asking for your defence, and as a future officer you must realise that expressions of opinion have no bearing on the case. You are charged with dirty equipment and insolence. Please keep to the first.'

'Sure, sir! My belt was clean as it was for the Prince o' Wales's inspection in France. What's good enough for the son of a king is good enough for any two-pipped child in this institooshun. As for insolence, I reckon we Canadians ain't out to grovel at the feet of snobs, though we don't mind givin' a "sir" now and again to a white man like yourself.'

'But don't you see that a young officer, unacquainted with the Canadian temperament, might misinterpret your attitude?'

'Maybe, colonel; but it's up to you to educate this child. I'm no chicken in the fighting business. Out West I make ten thousand dollars a year. Seems to me that your old machinery's all wrong. And I guess you can't do me in as long as these things are hanging around my figure,' concluded Tosher, throwing the Military Medal and the D.C.M. on the table.

Blase-Bones was trembling. I felt sorry for the ass.

There was a strange silence in the room for a couple of minutes. The colonel was outwardly studying conduct-sheets, but in reality he was weighing up in his own mind how he could maintain justice without letting an officer down in front of the rank and file. It was an awkward position. Much depended on his decision. He knew there was a whole Canadian Government behind Tosher, and a House of Commons behind Ginger. He also knew that if he muddled the issue, the War Office might promptly lift him out of his job. The commandant, as one of the old school, was nobly striving to bring the Manual of Military Law into line with the blunt (but honest) democracy of the New Army and the Canadian Force.

At last he looked up at Ginger and inquired, 'Will you take my punishment?'

'Yes, sir.' Ginger had complete confidence in the C.O.

'And you?' he asked Tosher.

'I guess I will, colonel, if it doesn't mean time in a stone-breakin' institooshun.'

'Very well! In my opinion there's been a great lack of tact on the part of your officer, just as there has been a great lack of sense on your part. It is not for you to reply on parade. If you have a grievance, come to me. I'm paid to keep everybody in order. I'm going to punish you for that. If there is no discipline, there is no army. You, as future officers, must realise that. Both of you will be confined to camp for a week. Understand?'

'Yes, sir.'

'But,' said the colonel, 'I request your platoon commander to apologise to you here in my presence. You are good soldiers. You have both been honoured by the King. Your officer has no right to cast aspersions on the New Army, and to conduct his work in a manner calculated to stir hostility. I won't have it.-Please apologise, Mr Blase-Bones.'

'I'm-exceedingly sorry. I'm just afraid I've made a-mistake. I hope you will pardon me,' muttered the crestfallen subaltern.

'Fall out, men,' said the C.O. kindly.

We were marched out, Ginger and Tosher quite well pleased with the colonel's verdict.

The C.O. knew his job.