Captain Jim
In Captain Jim, a bequest to Norah through her father of an estate in England fosters action to turn it into a home for “Tired People”: recuperating war wounded with nowhere nearby to call home. Finding suitable staff for the project has both painful and happy moments and the guests start coming in.
Jim and Wally return to the Front Line, where Jim’s exuberant antics win him his Captaincy.
“I believe they’ve missed their way altogether,” muttered the Colonel angrily. “There should have been shots long ago. It isn’t like Linton. Dawn will be here soon, and the whole lot will be scuppered.” He wheeled at a sudden commotion beyond him in the trench. “Silence there! What’s that?”
“That” was Jim Linton and his warriors, very muddy, but otherwise undamaged. They dropped into the trench quietly, those who came first turning to receive heavy objects from those yet on top. Last of all Jim hopped down.
“Hullo, Wal!” he whispered. “Got ’em.”
“Got ’em!” said the Colonel sternly. “What? Where have you been, sir?”
“I beg your pardon, sir—I didn’t know you were there,” Jim said, rather horrified. It is not given to every subaltern to call his commanding officer “Wal,” when that is not his name. “I have the guns, sir.”
“You have—what?“
“The Boche—I mean, the enemy, machine guns. We brought them back, sir.”
“You brought them back!” The Colonel leaned against the wall of the trench and began to laugh helplessly. “And your men?”
“All here, sir. We brought the ammunition, too,” said Jim mildly. “It seemed a pity to waste it!”
But bad trouble comes soon after. Wally, the family, staff and guests mourn Jim’s loss—but surprises are still in store.
The Trustee of The Mary Grant Bruce Family Trust owns the extant copyrights to this story.
First Published in: 1919
First Publisher: Ward, Lock & Co. Limited
Places First Published: London and Melbourne