Saturday evening, the Rifles are back

"We'll jus' make a bigger tent, sir. No trouble, that!" The youth laughed and had to be careful not to spill any of his tea as his hands shook a little. The captain was a fine character, just as the rifles. Which was proved by the man by his side, easy as a pie.

"Jus' sortin' out me pay." He grinned at Roper. "Be twice 's big n'all. Yer know. No pay taken fer t' food, since I eat so little." which was the opposite of what was true. Well, he ate as much as he was given and probably would have eaten more, if more had been offered.

"We'll make you catch dinner, then. If you catch it, you can eat it!" Roper grinned. Of course, it would take more than one rabbit to go around the mess, unless it was helped along by ration beef and... he looked at the Captain. "Sir, where did you get them veg'tables you put in the stew tonight?"

Vickery shrugged, smiling. "Bought them. From someone who needed the money more than I did. You can't eat money, after all, and I eat out of your pot often enough that I should put something back into it." He took a sip of tea and made a dismissive gesture with one hand. "Yes, I know Cotton sneaks some of my private stock to add to the pot when he knows I'm going to be eating from the common pot, but that's different."

"Jus' not when we're scoutin'. Can't catch it then!" But then he blinked and he looked at the captain. Well, of course he ought to have bought it, he was an officer, and officers didn't steal or make people to give them things for free. Not these men. Still , he was surprised for he had only now realised that money was payed for the pot, out of the man's own pocket, to have the men eat, and that Cotton was even allowed to take some for when he ate with them.

"..He's..?" He looked between Roper and the captain and tried to see if that was some inside joke and he was played a fool for it. He would laugh if it were. "...n' is.. 'right?" The sugar was one thing, though so precious as it had been in the tea. But that was something else!