“Ger-grub’s short,” said Nijinsky.

“Rations?” said the D.A.Q.M.G.  “I’ve had no complaints.”

“Yiss.  No spuds—­taters, I mean.”

“We must see to that,” said the General.  “Well, we’ll go on, I think;” and they got into the car.

“Pup-pass, please,” said Nijinsky, spotting the trick at once.

“Oh, that’s all right, my good fellow.  Drive on.”

“N-n-no,” said Nijinsky sternly; “you ker-can’t ger-go without a pup-pup-pass!”

“Come, come, don’t be ridiculous.  I’m your General; you know me perfectly well.”

“Yiss.”

“Then let me through, do you hear?  And let me have no more of this infernal nonsense.”

“It’s ug-ug—­”

“It’s what?”

“Ug-against orders.”

“I know all about the orders, boy.  I gave them myself.”

“Yiss, and I’m ker-carrying them out, ain’t I?” came with inexorable logic.

“Well, now I give you orders to let me through.  Do you see?”

“Yiss; but if I do they’ll have me up for disobeying the fer-first one.  Pup-pass, please.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.  We must go through.  Don’t you realise we have our duty to perform?”

“Yiss, Sir, so have I.”

“’Pon my soul, this is too preposterous.  My good boy, I’m very glad you know how to obey an order, but you must use your discretion sometimes.”

At the word “discretion” Nijinsky started.  Then he broke all records and winked—­winked at a perfectly good General at eleven o’clock in the morning.

“Oh, no, you der-don’t,” he grinned; “I’ve been her-had before.  The Captain says I’m ner-not to use my discretion; it only ger-gets me into a lot of terouble.”

The General got out of his car.  So did the G.S.O.1.  So did the D.A.Q.M.G.  So did the A.D.C.  But the spectacle was not so impressive as before.  They advanced in artillery formation upon the enemy.  It was enough.  Perish the General Staff!  They were mere phantoms of authority beside the vision of the company officer and the words, “Escort and accused—­halt.  Left—­turn.  Private Nijinsky, Sir.”  With his eyes bulging with excitement Nijinsky leapt back and assumed the attitude of warlike defiance known as “coming on guard.”

The General hesitated.  He did not know Nijinsky, you see; he had never seen him going sick before the battle, or heard him murmur “ser-something for ner-nothing,” as he took his medicine.

“Look here, my man, you are exceeding your duty and the consequences will be very serious.  I will not be stopped in this outrageous manner!  There is a time to obey orders and there is a time to use our discretion.  Confound it, we must all of us use our discretion at times.”

“Then,” said Nijinsky, “wer-will you per-please use yours, for.  I ker-can’t let you through without a pup-pass.”

The sun shone brightly on the car as it retired ignominiously, leaving Nijinsky hot, happy and victorious, presenting arms faithfully to the indignant Great Ones, and silence reigned on the battlefield.