As I tried to suggest earlier, our lad gets away too easily here, if the lish by-a-broom be a recruiter that is. Or have I been misled with that the British Army or Navy recruiting officers - of any kind - would have kept, and not let go, what they had 'purchased'? It's hard to believe that the 'lady sergeants' (or decoys really) would have worked alone, as is the case here. And after reading about the Bavarian connection, I certainly second the commercial traveller theory.

I did a translation of it into Finnish in that 'road song' spirit a couple of years ago (had to bring it into a bit more modern time frame though; it'll be on the list at the club opening at Kihaus Folk Music Festival in Rääkkylä tomorrow, btw).

AKS