HIS SACRED PATH

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2837, 31 July 1916, Page 8

HIS SACRED PATH

THE LADY AND THE SENTRY AND WAYWARD FEET! "Excuso me, madam,'" tho sentry said politely, "you aro standing on my beat." The stout lady, who, with a lady friend was crossing the sentry't; beat, had paused to watch a taxi pulling up. "Eh, young man?" she exclaimed. I Tho sentry repeated his remonstrance. [ The lady, looked at the clinkercd path she stood on, and said, "What is it like? I don't seo anything except cinders." "That's it," grinned the sentry; "that's my beat, and you're standing on it." The'lady glanced him over coldly and said to her friend, "Another soldier's joke, I suppose. Come on!" And they walked calmly along the clinkercd path that had been raised above the mud, for the sentry to walk on, while that dutiful soldier followed close at their heels, till they- wa.lkcd off the end. I The Poor Civilian. [ During the past week and at any time when large bodies of recruits are being admitted into camp tho way of the civilian visitor is a hard one. He must for ever. explain bis business in the camp, or else go by ways unfrequented by the new men and their guides. Yesterday a-civilian who had business with .a camp officer had an interesting time. He sought for the officer in a certain hall in which recruits were being sworn in. As he. left to follow his search elsewhere a sergeant'said, .- , "Hey! 'You fall in here." : The - civilian hurried on, only to have whistle calls and orders shouted after ■'him. As he turned the corner of a building he looked back and was severely beckoned to return. But he -fled. Further on, while waiting outside another hall, an-n.c.0.-gently-pushed" - him into line with some men who were armed with tin plates and knives .and forks. "It's hard to keep track of you blokes in mufti," the n.c.o. said, "and I half believe you're the chap that got lost before. However, I've got you now and I'll see that your don't drift away again." The appearance of tho civilian's friend, the camp officer, put matters right, but tho visitor felt that he had very nearly become a soldier. ■ ■' By their Badges Shall He know Them. The new staff distinction decorations recently introduced by the British War Office have already been adopted by officers of the camp staffs in New Zealand. _ Hitherto the only colour worn, in addition to khaki, has been the red on cap bands and gorget patches by staff officers. These are still. worn by the Commandants of Trentham and Featlierston, and by the Chief Infantry Instructor: The adjutants and assistant adjutants wear blue on their can bands and on gorget patches, in the latter case with a red braid across the patch vertically. The blue distinctive badges' arc also worn by the Camp Quartermaster, Assistant Camp Quartermaster, Assistant Director of Supplies, and Deputy Assistant Director of Supplies, Principal Medicap Officer, Principal Dental Officer, Sanitary Officer, and Deputy Assistant Director of Veterinary Services. Tho green cap bands and gorget patches are worn by. the Chief Mounted Instructor, Chief Artillery Instructor, Mounted Instructors, Artillery' Instructors, Infantry Instructors. Army Service Corps Instructors, Medical Corps Instructors, and Musketry Instructors. Contrary to the expectation of a few admirers of the red, the blue and green have a verv smart npnenrance, the red cord across the patches giving a brightness to Hw darker colours and adding to the effect.