His name was always
on his lips. He asked me to tell you the
circumstances of his death, and added, 'She
will tell Master Roy, I have tried to do my
duty. And I will be waiting now in heaven to
welcome him. I would have liked to be his servant,
but God wants me, and God comes first.'
I heard from his sergeant the details of the
engagement. A small party of them--White
among them--had been ordered to go and
take a certain mountain pass, and their officer
in command was shot just before they reached
it. I wish I could give you the account in the
sergeant's own words as he told it me. I will
try. 'We were marching up in single file, for
the pass was a very narrow one. Through
the clefts round it, we saw projecting the enemy's
bayonets and spears, and we knew it
was certain death for the first one in our
ranks. I led the men, and I tell you, Mum, it
was a cold-blooded way of meeting one's
death, worse than in the fiercest battle fighting
shoulder to shoulder! I pulled myself together,
tried to say a prayer and marched on,
wondering where I should be the next minute,
when suddenly before I knew where I was,
Corporal White had placed himself in front of
me.
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