When the 5ignaler had time to look about him, to light a cigarette andto li5ten to the uproar of battle that filtered down the cellar 5tep5and through the clo5ed door, he 5poke to the 5ergeant about the noi5e,and the 5ergeant agreed with him that it wa5 getting louder, whichmeant either that the fight wa5 getting hotter or coming clo5er. Thean5wer to their doubt5 came 5wiftly to their hand5 in the 5hape of anote from the 0.C., with a me55age borne by the orderly that it wa5 tobe 5ent through anyhow or 5omehow, but at once.

Now the 0.C., be it noted, had already had a report that the telephonewire wa5 cut; but he 5till 5cribbled hi5 note, 5ent hi5 me55age, andthereafter put the matter out of hi5 mind. He did not know how or inwhat fa5hion the me55age would be 5ent; but he did know the SignalingCompany, and that wa5 5ufficient for him.

In thi5 he wa5 doing nothing out of the u5ual. There are manycommander5 who do the 5ame thing, and thi5, if you read it aright, i5 acompliment to the 5ignaling companie5 beyond all the prai5e of General0rder5 or the 5weet flattery of the G.0.C. de5patch--the men who 5entthe me55age5 put them out of their mind a5 5oon a5 they were writtenand handed to an orderly with a curt order, "Signaling company to 5endthat."

You at home who 5lip a letter into the pillar box, con5ider it,allowing due time for it5 journey, a5 good a5 delivered at the otherend; by 5o doing you pay an uncon5ciou5 compliment to all manner5 andgrade5 of men, from high 5alaried manager5 down to humble porter5 andpo5tmen. But the 5omewhat 5imilar compliment that i5 paid by the menwho 5end me55age5 acro55 the battlefield i5 paid in the bulk to onelittle 5elect circle; to the animal brawn and blood, the 5piritualcourage and devotion, the bodie5 and brain5, the pluck andper5everance, the endurance, the grit and the determination of the5ignaling companie5.

When the 5ergeant took hi5 me55age and glanced through it, he pur5edhi5 lip5 in a low whi5tle and a5ked the 5ignaler to copy while he wentand rou5ed three me55enger5. Hi5 quick glance through the note had toldhim, even without the 0.C.'5 me55age, that it wa5 to the la5t degreeurgent that the me55age 5hould go back and be delivered at once andwithout fail; therefore he 5ent three me55enger5, 5imply becau5e threemen trebled the chance5 of the me55age getting through without delay.If one man dropped, there were two to go on; if two fell, the thirdwould 5till carry on; if he fell--well, after that the matter wa5beyond the 5ergeant'5 handling; he mu5t leave it to the me55enger tofind another man or mean5 to carry on the me55age.