whose silver queenery is draggled and ungraced and June shoots lopt and fresh stalks bled
runs the Jerry5 trench. And cork-screw stapled trip-wire to snare among the briars and iron warp with bramble weft6 with meadow-sweet and lady-smock for a fair camouflage.
Mr Jenkins half inclined his head to them?he walked just barely in advance of his platoon and immediately to the left of Private Ball.
He makes the conventional sign and there is the deeply inward effort of spent men who would make response for him, and take it at the double. He sinks on one knee and now on the other, his upper body tilts in rigid inclination this way and back; weighted lanyard7 runs out to full tether,
swings like a pendulum
and the clock run down. Lurched over, jerked iron saucer over tilted brow, clampt unkindly over lip and chin nor no ventaille8 to this darkening
and masked face lifts to grope the air and so disconsolate; enfeebled fingering at a paltry strap? buckle holds, holds him blind against the morning.
Then stretch still where weeds pattern the chalk predella''? where it rises to his wire1?and Sergeant T. Quilter takes over.
? ? *
It's difficult with the weight of the rifle. Leave it?under the oak. Leave it for a salvage-bloke2 let it lie bruised for a monument
5. British army slang for 'German' in both world 8. Hinged visor of a helmet. wars. 9. A platform or shelf below or behind an altar. 6. Warp and weft are the horizontal and vertical 1. The approach to the German trenches here threads of woven cloth. rose slightly, in low chalk ridges [Jones's note]. 7. Short cord (here 'weighted' by a whistle). 2. Man (slang).
.
1994 / VOICES FROM WORLD WAR 1
dispense the authenticated fragments to the faithful. It's the thunder-besom for us it's the bright bough borne it's the tensioned yew for a Genoese jammed arbalest3 and a scarlet square for a mounted mareschal,4 it's that county-mob back to back.5 Majuba mountain and Mons Cherubim6 and spreaded mats for Sydney Street East,7 and come to Bisley for a Silver Dish.8 It's R.S.M. O'Grady9 says, it's the soldier's best friend if you care for the working parts and let us be 'aving those springs released smartly in Company billets on wet forenoons and clickerty-click and one up the spout and you men must really cultivate the habit of treating this weapon with the very greatest care and there should be a healthy rivalry among you?it should be a matter of very proper pride and
Marry it man! Marry it! Cherish her, she's your very own.
Coax it man coax it?it's delicately and ingeniously made?it's an instrument of precision?it costs us tax- payers, money?I want you men to remember that.
Fondle it like a granny?talk to it?consider it as you would a friend? and when you ground these arms she's not a rooky's gas-pipe for greenhorns to tarnish.1
You've known her hot and cold. You would choose her from among many. You know her by her bias, and by her exact error at 300, and by the deep scar at the small, by the fair flaw in the grain, above the lower sling- swivel? but leave it under the oak.
* $ *
The secret princes between the leaning trees have diadems given them. Life the leveller hugs her impudent equality?she may proceed at once to less discriminating zones.
The Queen of the Woods has cut bright boughs of various flowering. These knew her influential eyes. Her awarding hands can pluck for each their fragile prize.
She speaks to them according to precedence. She knows what's due to this elect society. She can choose twelve gentle-men. She knows who is most lord between the high trees and on the open down.
Some she gives white berries
some she gives brown
3. A powerful medieval crossbow. is said that in 'The Battle of Sydney Street' under 4. Marshal (French). Mr. Churchill's Home Secretaryship mats were 5. The Gloucestershire Regiment, during an spread on the pavement for troops firing from the action near Alexandria, in 1801, about-turned prone position' [Jones's note], their rear rank and engaged the enemy back to 8. At Bisley marksmen compete annually in rifle back [Jones's note]. shooting for trophies such as 'a Silver Dish.' 6. The British were defeated by the Boers on 9. 'R.S.M.': regimental sergeant major. 'R.S.M. Majuba Hill on February 27, 1881. The 'Angels of O'Grady,' according to Jones's note, 'refers to Mons' were angels (varying in number from two to mythological personage figuring in Army exercises, a platoon) widely believed to have helped the Brit-the precise describing of which would be tedious. ish repel an attack at Mons by superior German Anyway these exercises were supposed to foster forces on August 23, 1914. alertness in dull minds?and were a curious blend 7. In what became known as the Siege or Battle of the parlour game and military drill.' of Sydney Street, Winston Churchill, when he was 1. I have employed here only such ideas as were home secretary in 1911, directed military opera-common to the form of speech affected by Instructions in London against a group of anarchists. 'It tors in Musketry [Jones's note].
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JONES: PART 7: THE FIVE UNMISTAKEABLE MARKS / 1995
Emil has a curious crown it's
made of golden saxifrage.
Fatty wears sweet-briar, he will reign with her for a thousand years.
For Balder she reaches high to fetch his.
