You might ha' guessed _that_." "Yes, yes; but why ?" "Because I didn' know how it worked." Gunner Sobey turned his face away wearily and continued to rub his hurt.

"I didn't know till now, either, that a man could be stunned at this end," he added.
"Man, I see you're suffering, but answer me for goodness' sake! What's the meaning of all these cattle outside, and the taps running, and the smoke up yonder on the hill?
And why-- ?" "I done my best," murmured Gunner Sobey drowsily.

"Single-handed I done it, but I done my best." "Are you telling me that all this has been _your_ doing ?" "A man can't very well be ten detachments at once, can he ?" demanded the Gunner, sitting erect of a sudden and speaking with an air of great lucidity.

"At least not in the Artillery.

The liquor, now-- I've run it out of every public-house in the town; that was Detachment D's work.