When he was in India, the moment the midday bugle went—that is, when the canteen opened—'Nobby' used to shut his store and walk across the parade ground to the canteen. You could set your clock by him, for he was always on the tick, "Nobby" has eight good-conduct badges. When his troopship called at Malta on the way home "Nobby" was presented to the Colonel of the regiment, who had a long chat with him and congratulated him on his long servit Puzzle: Nobby" is the nickname they always give in the Army to men named Clark. Why Private Esplin is called "Nobby" is a my-story lost in the mists of antiquity.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.