and we finished it with considerably more than a million, to say nothing of the mules, who diffused an air of cynical amusement over the military proceedings in which they were compelled to bear a part.  This may conceivably be one more proof in Mr. WELLS’S eyes of our incurable stupidity.  But those who have watched the work of our armies at close quarters will be the last to agree with him.  Captain GALTREY in fact proves his case.  He has an enthusiasm for horses and has written a most interesting book.  The illustrations are excellent and appropriate, and the book is admirably got up.

* * * * *

Valour is apt to get the better of discretion in any novel that attempts to be quite up to date with a political subject.  Mrs. TWEEDALE places The Veiled Woman (JENKINS) in some vague period later than August, 1914, largely in order to decry a Government that really by now one fails to identify, and to let off sundry feminist squibs and crackers which, in view of the present position of woman suffrage, can only be described as fireworks half-price on the 6th of November.  Further, to get all my grumbles frankly over, she so constantly makes sweeping assertions against the other sex that even the most chivalrous of male reviewers may be inclined to kick.  To hear a lady pronounce once or twice that the males of the species are obviously diminishing in stature and strength, or that the whole programme of the earth’s return to the highest ideals is in woman’s hands, may be good for the masculine soul, but after a while it brings up vividly BESANT’S story of The Revolt of Man—­what happened then and just why.  The claim to a monopoly of self-sacrifice in particular comes very badly in war-time.  All the same, if you cut out this top-hamper the story of The Veiled Woman on its personal side is distinctly a good one.  I wished the heroine had not spoiled her fine enthusiasms by mixing them so freely with a personal vendetta; but after all it is not the characterisation that intrigues one here.  The plot—­which I will not spoil by giving it away—­goes excellently, and works up to a capital climax.

* * * * *

Mr. BOYD CABLE is the literary liaison officer between the Infantry and the Air Force.  In the wonderful stories contained in Airmen O’ War (MURRAY) his object is to make the armies on the ground understand what they owe to the armies of the air.  If they suffer from a lack of understanding, this is not, I gather, likely to be removed by the airmen themselves, for they have evidently imbibed some of the spirit of our Navy and are magnificently reluctant to talk about their achievements.  But this reticence has its dangers, and Mr. BOYD CABLE has set to work to remove them.  Here he has written nothing for which he cannot find “an actual parallel fact.”  I honestly believe him and commend his book both to those who have a passion for tales of high adventure and also to those—­if there are such—­who need authentic instances of what our Airmen O’ War have done for us.