Then a score at least will have sufficient of your diamond to scratch a pane of glass." He bowed, backed and returned to present me with my bill. My father was one of the first to organize a Volunteer Rifle Corps. The head-quarters were at Tavistock, and the practice-ground by the side of the Tavy in a level meadow ; but the corps occasionally came to Lew, where the target was set up on the opposite side of the valley. On such occasions they were given a lunch of cold boiled beef, tart and beer in the avenue. I joined the corps, and, at Hurstpierpoint, continued my drill in the company there constituted. On one occasion, when there had been much rain, I drew on a pair of goloshes over my boots. When I reached the grounds where we were at drill, we were drawn up, and put through our evolutions. The soil was clay, and very soon off came one of my goloshes and stuck in the wealden mud. We marched and counter-marched, wheeled, formed hollow squares, and charged over the spot where was my embedded golosh. I met with several reprimands from the sergeant for turning my head and looking after my lost article of foot-cover. Next day I went to the field, and wandered over it, with bowed head, seeking my lost golosh, much as, on that of Senlac, Swan-white sought the body of Harold. But I was less fortunate ; I never saw my golosh again. However, the quest was not profitless, for I found several pieces of Roman pottery and a fragment of Samian ware, which led to the discovery of the site of a manu-factury of earthenware of the time of the Roman occupation.
