And truly their post was no sinecure.  To supply the demands of hundreds of hungry and thirsty warriors was not child's-play.  Inside the shed, Miles found his friend Brown busy with a mighty caldron of hot water, numerous packets of coffee, and immense quantities of sugar and preserved milk.  Brown was the fountain-head.  The ladies were the distributing pipes--if we may say so; and although the fountain produced can after can of the coveted liquid with amazing rapidity, and with a prodigality of material that would have made the hair of a private housewife stand on end, it was barely possible to keep pace with the demand.