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"Ye're wrong, sir-r," said Tam quietly; "the groond's a fine place to test a wee perambulator or a motor-car or a pair of buits but it's no' the place to test an aeroplane. The aeroplane an' the submarine maun be tried oot in their native eelements." "But suppose you did succeed in breaking something and you went to glory?"
"It was no swank," said Tam quietly. "Listen, Captain Blackie, sir-r; four guns were bangin' and bangin' at me, and one of them was a good one too good to live. Suppose A' had spotted that one A' could have dropped and bombed him." Blackie was frowning. "I think we'll leave the Archies alone," he said; "you have never shown a disposition to go gunning for Archies before, Tam." Tam shook his head.
Suddenly as he zoomed to the heavens there was a loud crack; and lookin' over, the young hero discovered that life was indeed a bed of shrapnel and that more was on its way, for at every point of the compass Archie was belching forth death and destruction" he paused and rubbed his chin "Archie A' didn't mind," he said with a little chuckle, "but Archie's little sister, sir-r, she was fierce!
"Where are ye gaun?" he asked, for Tam's besetting vice was an unquenchable curiosity. "To the trenches afore Masille, sir-r," said the man he addressed. "Ye'll no' be callin' me 'sir-r," reproved Tam. "A'm a s-arrgent. Hoo lang will ye stay in the trenches up yon?" "Foor days, Sergeant," said the man. "Foor days guid Lord!" answered Tam. "A' wouldn't do that wairk for a thoosand poonds a week."
"I shouldn't strain that warning stunt of yours." "Sir-r," said Tam, "A've no intention of riskin' government property." "I'm not thinking of the machine, but of you." "A' was thinkin' the same way," said Tam coolly. "'Twould be a national calamity.
The white man soon came down to the strand, riding his mule, and both drank freely from the muddy river. He was a fairly-intelligent young fellow, and proud of his mount no need of lines, he said, for "this yer mule; ye on'y say 'gee! and 'haw! and he done git thar ev'ry time, sir-r! 'Pears to me, he jist done think it out to hisself, like a man would.
"Hello, Tam anything exciting?" Tam waved his hand he never saluted. "Will ye gang an' tak' a look at me eenstruments?" he asked mysteriously. "Why, Tam?" "Will ye, sir-r?" Captain Blackie walked over to the machine and climbed up into the fuselage. What he saw made him gasp, and he came back to where Tam was standing, smug and self-conscious.
His wife had "gone back on him," and he was left with two little boys, whom he proposed to bring up as gentlemen "yaas, sir-r, gen'lem'n, yew hear me! ef I is only a shanty-boat feller!" "I thote I'd come to visit uv ye," he had said by way of introduction; "ye're frum a city, ain't yer? Yaas, I jist thote hit. City folks is a more 'com'dat'n' 'n country folks. Why?
There's a shipyard on the Clyde that's got ma name on its books as a fitter that's ma job an' A'm proud o' it. If ye're thinkin', Captain Blackie, sir-r, that ma heid got big " "No, no, Tam," said Blackie hastily, "I'm just telling you so that you'll understand things when they happen." Tam saluted and walked away.
"Nearly!" he said bitterly. "Did A' no' tell ye, Captain Blackie, sir-r, that ma luck was oot?" Tam stood in the doorway of Squadron Headquarters and saluted. "Come in, Sergeant Mactavish," said Blackie, and Tam's heart went down into his boots. To be called by his surname was a happening which had only one significance. There was trouble of sorts, and Tam hated trouble.
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