THE WOULDBEGOODS
were lying about, with some of their belts undone, smoking pipes and cigarettes.
"It's not British soldiers," Alice said. "Oh, dear, oh, dear, I'm afraid it's more enemy. You didn't sow the army-seed anywhere else, did you, H. O., dear?"
H. O. was positive he hadn't. "But perhaps lots more came up where we did sow them," he said; "they're all over England by now, very likely. I don't know how many men can grow out of one dragon's tooth."
Then Noël said, "It was my doing, anyhow, and I'm not afraid," and he walked straight up to the nearest soldier, who was cleaning his pipe with a piece of grass, and said:
"Please, are you the enemy?" The man said:
"No, young commander-in-chief, we're the English."
Then Oswald took command.
"Where is the general?" he said.
"We're out of generals just now, field-marshal," the man said, and his voice was a gentleman's voice. "Not a single one in stock. We might suit you in majors now—and captains are quite cheap. Competent corporals going for a song. And we have a very nice colonel, too—quiet to ride or drive."
Oswald does not mind chaff at proper times. But this was not one.
"You seem to be taking it very easy," he said, with disdainful expression.
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