Then there was Sergeant Renton--who, though badly frost-bitten,
refused to leave the front line, and always showed his other foot to
the Doctor. He could only hobble with the help of spades as crutches.
Young Roger who "saw red" in the Dere and nearly bayonetted the
Doctor. Hastie Young, an "old soldier," the regimental barber: he cut
the Brig.'s hair, until the Brig. unfortunately ran into Hastie
holiday-making in Jerusalem.
Lowson who snored quite happily within a few yards of the Turkish
machine gunner at "Amulree"[15] and finally got lost, and "fetched up
among the 'Duffs,' I think ye ca' them" (it is as the "Buffs" that
they are generally known)!
S.-M. Elder, an old Black Watch man, who when asked if he were dead
stoutly denied it.
Little Batchelor, the runner, never flurried and always so polite,
however nasty the Bosche might be, was nearly kidnapped by the
Australians as a mascot.
"Honest John" M'Niven who would work twenty-four hours a day to make A
Company more comfortable.
S.M. Hair whose wonderful pronunciation of words of command always
amused us. His "Stind at ---- ice" electrified everyone; unlike poor
old Aitken, whose staccato and rapid "Company company 'shun'" was
never heard by anyone! And then the footballers Savage, Herd, Collier
(who commanded "hauf a Batt-al-i-on" at St Emilie); Todd, M'Guffog
(who captained the team that won the Final of the Divisional Cup, with
a bit of Turkish shrapnel so close to his spine that they dared not
operate); Davis with a heart like a lion and a kick like a mule;
M'Lean who could head the ball about as far as he could kick it;
Durham who seemed always half asleep and too lazy to worry--and many
another first-rate footballer.
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