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248 in Ireland, one in Wales for hill-work, a couple in Scotland, and a sort of parade-ground in the Lake District; but the real working Areas are in India, Africa, and Australia, and so on.'

'And what do you do there?'

'We "heef" under service conditions, which are rather like hard work. We "heef" in an English Area for about a year, coming into barracks for one month to make up wastage. Then we may "heef" foreign for another year or eighteen months. Then we do sea-time in the war boats'

What-t? I said.

'Sea-time,' Bayley repeated. 'Just like Marines, to learn about the big guns and how to embark and disembark quick. Then we come back to our territorial headquarters for six months, to educate the Line and Volunteer camps, to go to Hythe, to keep abreast of any new ideas, and then we fill up vacancies. We call those six months "Schools." Then we begin all over again, thus: Home "heef," foreign "heef," sea-time, schools. "Heefing" isn't precisely luxurious, but it's on "heef" that we make our head-money.'

'Or lose it,' said the sallow Pigeon, and all laughed, as men will, at regimental jokes.

'The Dove never lets me forget that,' said Boy Bayley. 'It happened last March. We were out in the Second Northern Area at the top end of Scotland where a lot of those silly deer-forests used to be. I'd sooner "heef" in the middle of Australia myself—or Athabasca, with all respect to the Dove; he's a native of those parts. We were