Page:Traffics and Discoveries.djvu/269

Rh bloods that want to shine in the arena. I told you we catered for all tastes. Now, as regards the Line proper, I believe the young artisan and mechanic puts in for that before he marries. He likes the two months' "heef" in his first year, and five bob a week is something to go on with between times.'

'Do they follow their trade while they're in the Line?' I demanded.

'Why not? How many well-paid artisans work more than four days a week anyhow? Remember a Linesman hasn't to be drilled in your sense of the word. He must have had at least eight years' grounding in that, as well as two or three years in his Volunteer battalion. He can sleep where he pleases. He can't leave town-limits without reporting himself, of course, but he can get leave if he wants it. He's on duty two days in the week as a rule, and he's liable to be invited out for garrison duty down the Mediterranean, but his benefit societies will insure him against that. I'll tell you about that later. If it's a hard winter and trade's slack, a lot of the bachelors are taken into the I.G. barracks (while the I.G. is out on the "heef") for theoretical instruction. Oh, I assure you the Line hasn't half a bad time of it.'

'Amazing!' I murmured. 'And what about the others?'

'The Volunteers? Observe the beauty of our system. We're a free people. We get up and slay the man who says we aren't. But as a little detail we never mention, if we don't volunteer in S