The Vpres Times.
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to come, but they gets tired, sir, and they don't come now any more. I 'ears of them
and 'ow Ted Wilson's got a shop in the next street but one, and 'Arry he's married and
took root in Birmingham, and old Mac's a Bolshie Glasgow-ways, and Jim Beatson, the
corp'ral, he's gone back to the polis, and, d'ye see, sir, they've all gone back to life and
in life you forgets. But the old friends, they ain't forgotten me and they comes, sir."
I thought he was starting to get a bit off the mark but he cut in on me when I was
saying something silly about not exciting himself.
No, sir, they does. The doc. says I'm far gone in 'allelushinations, but docs, don't
know everything. Why, sir, the old friends can't fergit. When it gets dark 'ere and
nurse sticks on the night light I Hes awake and they comes in just as they was, sir.
'Tain't but last night I was a-lyin' 'ere and feelin' lonely-like when in comes Big Jim
Harrigan just as he was, sir, with an orful squint both ways and 'air stickin' out of 'is
chin where no"air should 'ave been and a great big 'ole in his 'head where the 'Un sniper
got 'im in Rabbit Rim, and says 'e, W'ere's yer pull-thro', ye perishin' blighter"? I
bin out killin' 'Uns and me barrel's choked wi' blood.' An' I laughs and 'e laughs and
he says, See who I've brought And there was Mr. Wilson who was O.C. 15 Platoon,
and Fatty Rae who was sargint and Ginger, the L.G. corp'ralH. E. got 'em, sir, be'ind
Pommern Redoubt, me and what was left o' D Company carried 'em down dead on a
stretcher right into Wipers with Jerry strafing Hke 'ell, and Mr. Wilson, 'e says I've
been looking for you, Basil, me lad'-me mother was a well-read woman and she
christened me Basil, sir'cause I ain't seen you since the day the old battalion went
over. And did you 'ave much trouble getting me down.' Aye, sir, says I. I cussed
you by all the names, for you would a-keep rolling off the stretcher.' And he laughs
and laughs and so does the others, and I sees the wee red line right round his throat, and
I sees the place in Ginger's neck where the sharpnel went in. And more comes in
I knows 'em tho' I can't get all their names nowand we sits talkin', talkin', till it gets
daylight and then they says, So long, Basil,' and I says, So long, sir. So long, Ginger.
So long, 'Arry.' And near every night it's somebody, sir, They brings others and we
all sits and talks about the does we 'ad and the pain and oofs, and Germin? that was
at Ambrines and Marguerite that was at Francvillers and the estaminets at Pont Noyelles,
and t'other side Pop and all the places and the long big: road we went up to Wipers from
the Somme, and I tells 'em things and they teHs me things, and they says, It won't be
long, Basil, and we'll all have another do over 'ere.' And I says, What about Marie-
Louise she lived at lluisans, sir, pretty as a picture she was, she kissed me goodbye
'o rayvar', she says, when we went up for the 9th show, but the 'Un got me with a bayonet
at the Triangle and I never gets to Arras again. And they've sat and sat but they've
not said nothing yet about Marie-Louise. Maybe they will to-night, for 'Arry's bringing
some of the boys that went Arras ways after Kemmel.
But there's the doc coming now, sir. Don't tell 'im nothing, and I'll tell the boys
about you to-nightTwenty-ninth Avenue, sir, weren't it, where you stopped a good
'un I'll tell 'em about it. Daresay some of 'em will remember You see it ain't the
dead what forgets, if they is dead, sir, which I doubts."
The doc. took me out under Basil's relinquishing smile. Quaint card, isn't he
Poor old Basil, he's as mad as a hatter really, but I guess he's happier."
Quite sure he's mad, doc. I answered, thinking about lots of things, about the
living who forget and the dead who don't.
The doc. looked at me sympathetically. What you want is a stiff b. and s., old
man. Basil's a bit trying if you aren't used to him."
I had that b. and s. I had two, and I don't agree with the doc. even then. It isn't
the dead who forget. I wish I had pals, too.
Quintus Decimus.