THE SERGEANT-MAJOR'S SHAVE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3183, 6 September 1917, Page 5

THE SERGEANT-MAJOR'S SHAVE

"Tho coolest thing I've ever seen out there," said a private of tho Argyll and Sutherlands in a London hospital, "was after the advance had broken into open fighting. Sometimes it happens in open fighting that yon hold, not a. trench, but a line of shell-holes. This' time our shell-holes were next to a battalion of the Gordons that mostly came from Morayshire, and, ae things were quiet except for a bit of shelling, I just dropped into a shell-hole where the Gordons were. There was a sergeant-major in this hole, shaving as calmly as if there were no such tilings as shells flying around. I said to him: 'Man, sergeant-major, yn arenas fear't?' Says he: 'I left my fear by the side o' tho Lossio.' We were talking away about Elgin and Pluscarden and Mosstowie, and about people thereabout, when suddenly a Bocbo turned up at the crater-lip. How he got there heaven only knows, but we were a bit mixed up with tho Germans round us near and far. This Bocho had mi ugly look as if ho meant mischief, but it didnae disturb the sergeant-major much. Ho jnst laid down his razor and picked up his riile and bayonet, and sauntered nut with soap down one side of his face. The Boebe had a bomb in his hand, Imf; ho dropped it without drawing tho safetypin, and bo up with his bands. 'Ihe sergeant-major rounded him no into the shell-hole.' dropping him in by the scruff of bis neck, and then ho made the German hold up the mirror till be finished his shave."