I was out early to-day， spying about
    From the top of a haystack —— such a lovely morning ——
    And when I mounted again to canter back
    I saw across a field in the broad sunlight
    A young Gunner Subaltern， stalking along
    With a rook-rifle held at the read， and —— would you believe it？ ——
    A domestic cat， soberly marching beside him.
    So I laughed， and felt quite well disposed to the youngster，
    And shouted out "the top of the morning" to him，
    And wished him "Good sport！" —— and then I remembered
    My rank， and his， and what I ought to be doing：
    And I rode nearer， and added， "I can only suppose
    You have not seen the Commander-in-Chief's order
    Forbidding English officers to annoy their Allies
    By hunting and shooting."
    But he stood and saluted
    And said earnestly， "I beg your pardon， Sir，
    I was only going out to shoot a sparrow
    To feed my cat with."
    So there was the whole picture，
    The lovely early morning， the occasional shell
    Screeching and scattering past us， the empty landscape， ——
    Empty， except for the young Gunner saluting，
    And the cat， anxiously watching his every movement.
    I may be wrong， or I may have told it badly，
    But it struck me as being extremely ludicrous.