"MARVEL."

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 282, 8 June 1917, Page 4 (Supplement)

"MARVEL."

THE BUTLER WHO MADE GOOD. At tin- beginning oi the war Lady Parbury addressed iier men-»crvants on their duty to their country. In a neat speech jhc gave the footmen a month's naming and then turned to the butler. " Vol. re over 40 Marvel, and soldiering is no: m your line. The Duke of Amcubury will engage you. He said yesterday that you were a perfect butler, with the manners of a bishop." " No doubt his grace intended it as a compliment, my iady. I hope it will not inconvenience your ladyship ii 1 leave to-morrow?" "You can go when you like, Marvel, but the duke will not want you till he let urns Irom town." ' I shall not -iter his grace's service, my lady." I'wo days later Private John Marvel was drilling among the recruits of the Wessex Fusiliers. He was a tall man, with ha'r turning grcv at the temples. He maintained a dignified in en when called upon to do "spud-t>kinning" and ev n humbler fatigues. His capacity for command was recognwd and lie was made a lance-corporal. A year later in France he was sergeant-major of li's company. The Weswex were in the push at Loos, and Marvel, as usual was equal to tho s'tuation. Ho handled his men ats calmly ;;,.- he had directed tho footmen at Parbury. A ruined pigsty offered an advantageous position, and Marvel beckoned a <oup!e of men to~'occupy it. Then there vu a roaring crash; for a moment ho was conscious of the/dusty plain with the Fosses showing I'ke pyramid.-; through the haze, and then the world was o.lip-ed in blackness. The nijjilit wind blew upon Marvel's Lice. Ho tried to get up, but found himself pinned beneath a tangle ot woodwork—the roof of the pigsty, he remembered. Ho forced h ; s way out, leaving most of h jacket behind him, and looked round. The roar of the artillery dominated his impressions-—that and thi> glare of the cordite reflected from the cloud;. In front of him red flash, s, streaked with black, cut holes in the dark curtain which shrouded Lens. Tho ground near him seemed deserted, but behind him the rattle of maclrnc guns and a continuous line of flashes marked the fighting front. It was evident that the wave of our advance had receded, leaving him in the Gorman lines.

Marvel considered the situation. The raavi of ruins to as left must be the Mil's south of Ixios, one of the pointe marked out for tlie Wessex to captureThough they had retired from it today, they would probably reoccupy it to-inorrcw. It seemed to offer shelter, and he made for it, picking h's way among the shell-holes. He stepped over the body of a tall staff officer. It was before tho staff iiad taken to tronclt caps, and the gold hue on the peak of his cup showed his a colonel Marvel was bareheaded and coa ties';, and the wind blew cold through the rags of his sh'rt. He put on the colonels jacket and cap and tc-ok his belt for the sake ol t.o revolver and. map attached to it.

A.s ho approached the mdl he heard English vo : ces. Looking jver a ruined Willi he saw a plump little ofurr in capia'n's uniform fitting beside a shaded candle, look'ng the picture of helplosi incompetence. This ls not a common sit;ht in the British Army, and for once Marvel was astonished. Yet the event had conic about in the ordinary course cf official routine. Captain Buttenby had been a subaltern in the p'ping time; of peace and :.ad gone cut to the South African War. There ha had been promptly Stellenbosched, and had retired with a modal and no clasps. He had been called up aga'n with the rank of captain and had lately joined., Now he was tho r.enior surviving officer of three companies of the Cheviot Rifles wh'ch had been cut offtluring our momentary retreat.

Butionby was consulting with his subaltern. "It's not a bit of good asking me where we are because I don't know. The only tiling we :un do is to lie low and keep quiet and hope they won't d'scovcr us till our chaps advance!'' Marvel made up Irs mind at once. He went round to the door and walked in.

"You are the officer in command?" The captain jumped to lis feet nnd saluted.

"Yes, sir. I have part of three compares of the Cheviots here.'' "You must have gone wide of your line. I expected to find the Wcvsex. Sir Charles attaches great importance to th's post bp'ng held till we resume our advaire. What are your disjxisitions for defencer"

'Well, ;'r, I have hardly gone into that yet.'' ■'Then I will assume command. If you will be good enough to assemble your company-and platoon > ommanders I will give them their orders."

Biittenby. immensely relieved, collected his officer-. Marvel acknowledged the'r salutes. "You, (Or, will tike twentr men and! collect cartridges from the dead and wounded along tho treiK-h to he right. You. sir. will do the s>nie on the left. Bring in any wounded and lie back in half an hour. You are the machine-gun officer? There should He several German machine guns cieoiig the ruins; get them into position facing the enemy. The whole of the remainder will -hut the barbed wire from the rear of this to the present front. Captain—;ih. Buttenby?My name is Marvel —if you will come round with me 1 will allot the sections of the defence."

I'nder :i loader who knew his mmd the three hundred bewildered stragglers from the Cheviots regained thcii northern '-oolites and vigour. An hour later, when the. German reinforcement; advanced they wore met by a wi'hering machinegun fire from the Mill-. They e.7.1110 on, driven forward with kieks and <!ii-(ri by the'r officer*, and some of tit' in had almost reached the wall* \\ lien they "ere taken in flank by a brilliant bayonet charge. The German* tried iga'n. '.nt Marvel's men held their (ire till the enemy were, within twenty yard-; and then opened a murderous enfilade fire from flank'tig |m> < =- itiois fll the grey-elad brdie-s lay mussed mi front of them. Then the ('< rmnns tired to work r.-in: 1 the hVnks, but they too late. The ilav wa. already breaking it v a : st'll September—and with the first f.'vs ,'f !iwu thej flJiJt'i-Ji auV van-e 1. Wl en (he Wes ex reached the Mi!!. the\ found Sergeant-Major Mar\el. in the nirform of a lolonel o! the staff, in ( ommand. '

With unportirrl>ed composure Marvel related hj:« (lone/, to li's eclnnel. That experienced warrior listened to !r. terse narratien and remarked: "1 eon.idor tint von have done ens! : to the regiment. Hi,! nhat view the authorities will tike of vour conduct s more than I (.hi -iv. (let Mimo pn )>er -"lothos re- |(, >i vour companv, and keep your mouth Unit."

A month later Marvel Tas gazetted second-lieutenant in th« Herwicks. At the | recent date lie is a major, and hv the end of the war he will probably he commanding the battalion.