OLD COMRADES

Hokitika Guardian, 9 October 1923, Page 4

OLD COMRADES

CENTRA!, V, A I 'CHOP'S EXl’El EXT ES.

A I’CK.I.A XD. (1,-1. b. The medal, of thi- w : , r f said Maim ( •.■n.'i’ii 1 \\ li mi mi j i ,n a-.ioni-.hiiif-i "m-n he vn- going i-med old v.-terai ai 1 1 1 • •! r heme yesterday alterneou. ” 1 •''if. c.-iiae iho hearty tom "I i'll "Id niau who was as nearly hid as it is possible to be.

‘’How- m the world did you g-; away.- 1 said the General. “You mu-i have had a halt!,- with l lie doctors." “t 'll y,--. said tile cl i eery old niaa. "He ''educed Id- age Tv M years and dyed hi- head." explain, d sonse-nne, "ami at the age m C \ joined tlm Rov.il Xavy. He was wounded at /’eehrugge.

"Splendid." said the Com-ral. "Tim! i- really line. At (hat rate ve.it mav -ucc.-.-il m being young cm.ugh to i.-.in m.v biigmi the next war." "-Did that 1 (1 gladly do." replied Haold Ulan, v ho-e -Timing eye- belied the infirmities o) age. It we- a deliuhli'ui e\ncrielieo to see tills general, who bears a name that has long been non. mired in Highland regiment.-, paying bis homage to old servile men. IT- helm'd- to that line -elmol of Imperial oHirer- who have paternal feeling for all soldiers and particularly lor men o, their own regiment-. They iyj»tf\ I hose qualities whirl) hare made t!m Briii-h Serve e- what they are. Di:--einlnarian- they are. bin the di-, iplm--th.-y rteate i- ba-T upon -onie ground of mutual l'Csper f and where is -it ■ H leeling greater than in (letter.d Wait, chop’- own regiment- the Black Watch the faiium- “Forty Two:-’’ An old soldier -torn! to attention when t lie general shook bun bv ihe hand. "Am! what v. a. vour regimentlm a-ked.

“The Forty Seee.nd." i ame the reply ll bread,,--l of broad Stanch. “I'm dr-liglited to ui.s-t vou." said the (.; em-ral at once all animation. Did you ov.-r hear anybody with my name." “That 1 did." -aid the old man. “1 mind you well when you were a lieutenant. That was in the Fa-t Indie-." At once the pair di-eu--ed old days and the General -oemed loath to tear him-elf awav.

“Alim verra glad yeve done -o we;!, -aid the veteran a- he -aid good-bye. "Oil. we all get on in the Black Watch." laughed the visitor.