firewood?" asked Harold as they stood
gazing.
"How much do you want?" asked the O.C. Forestry.
"Oh, well, what can you let me have? You've got stacks of odd stuff
about; surely you can spare a bit."
"It's clean agin regulations, but could you send for it?"
"Rather! There's an A.S.C. camp below us, and the men there promised me
a lorry if I'd share the spoils with them. Will that do?"
"All right. When will you send up?"
"What's to-day? Wednesday? How about Sunday? I could put some boys on to
load up who'd like the jaunt. How would Sunday do?"
"Capital. My chaps work on all day, of course, and I don't want to give
them extra, so send some of yours."
Peter listened, and now cut in.
"Excuse me, sir," he said, "but I was told I ought to try and get a
service of some sort out here. Could I come out on the lorry and hold
one?"
"Delighted, padre, of course. I'll see what I can do for you. About
eleven? Probably you won't get many men as there are usually inspection
parades and some extra fatigues on Sunday, but I'll put it in orders. We
haven't had a padre for a long time."
"Eleven would suit me," said Peter, "if Captain Harold thinks the lorry
can get up here by that time. Will it, sir?"
"Oh, I should think so, and, anyway, an hour or so won't make much
difference. If I can, I'll come with you myself. But, I say, we ought
to be getting back now. It will be infernally late for luncheon."
"Come and have a drink before you start, anyway," said the O.C.; and he
led the way back to the camp and into an enclosure made of bushes and
logs in the rear of the mess, where rustic seats and a table had been
constructed under the shade of a giant oak. "It's rattling here in
summer," he said, "and we have most of our meals out of doors. Sit
down, won't you? Orderly!"
"By Jove! you people are comfortable out here," said Harold. "Wish I had
a job of this sort."
"Oh, I don't know, skipper; it would feed you up after a while, I think.
It's bally lonely in the evening, and we