THE DOWNSMAN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2977, 15 January 1917, Page 3

THE DOWNSMAN

(By Joyeo Cobb, in "The Queen.")

"Grand night for walking, sir," said tho Downsman. His faco was turned- towards the rising moon; eastwards two broad searchlights swept tho sky, and, sprawling besido him on tho soft, springy grass of Telscombs cliffs, I wondered what this big-chested countryman was doing in mufti. I had tramped over Mount Caburn that afternoon, and wo wore soon friends, talking—as Sussex lovers will—of chines and coombes, of dewponds and tho lonely Downland shepherds. ' "Dunnamany times," said he, sitting suddenly upright in the darkness, "anigh 'cm slag-heaps at Loos, I was just about daft with d'reamin' o' the hills, the liddle round hayricks, sir, an' mayhap a field o' yaller mustard with tho sun shinin' on 'en. I was born at Tolscombe village, so I was, sir; married at Pidden'hoo, an' —well, thcy'vo giv' mo my discharge now. I'll sleep with my feathers in Tolscombe churchyard." "You'll seo many a harvest-homo first," I told him: but ho shook his head. I could hear light steps, approaching from tho dark _ Newhayen road; his daughter, he said, getting slowly to his feet, would ho coming to fetch him home.

"You'ro just about wrong, sir. I'd gone slow all my lifo," added ho reniiniscently, "an' 1 doan't mind tellin' you, it queered me at first to got the hang <v tho drill—but 'tis an unaccountable good army, an excellent army. An' ,there's many worse off than me. I've got tho look o' tho hills fixed in my mind, surelye. Caburn away to the right, an' Firlo Beacon further round, an' tho silly white sheep what I've scared with a whoop as a liddle hit of a chap. Duiuiamany times Fvo watched ths black oxen ploughing, but I'll never sea naun," ho concluded abruptly. "I'll never see naun jgain. Goodnight to you, sir." Suddenly, as the girl camo up to him, and he slipped an arm through hers, the moonlight showed mo his scarred face Then I understood; and, turning his sightless eyes towards the hills, my Downsman went homewards over the turf he loved.