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Devlin, the Colour-Sergeant of E Company, glanced at the empty saddle and tumbled through the barrack-rooms, kicking; up each Room Corporal as he passed. 'Up, ye beggars! There's something happened to the Colonel's son, he shouted. 'He couldn't fall off! S'elp me, 'e couldn't fall off, blubbered a drummer-boy. 'Go an' hunt acrost the river.
She was engaged to be married to a quiet, respectable young fellow with a shop of his own, and three days before the wedding she ran off with a regiment of marines and married the colour-sergeant. That's what I shall end by doing. I've been all the way to Sandgate with that lot you saw me with, and I've kissed four of them the nasty wretches.
But for their excellent services on this occasion, it might probably have been impossible to carry out the programme of our march. In the same Gazette was published another despatch from Sir F. Roberts, dated Cabul, 20th October, in which he says: 'Colour-Sergeant H. Macdonald, a non-commissioned officer, whose excellent and skilful management of a small detachment when opposed to immensely superior numbers in the Hazardarakht defile was mentioned in my despatch of the 16th instant, here again distinguished himself. This refers to his conduct at Charasiab, at the close of which action our brave countryman was sent for by Roberts, who publicly complimented and thanked him personally for 'the ability and intelligence with which he handled the party under his command' at the battle.
The first to mount was Colour-Sergeant John Bennet, of the 1st Fusiliers, who, having planted the colours of Old England on the very crest of the breach, stood beside them till the flag and staff were riddled with balls. On rushed the Fusiliers; they remembered the legends of their ancient corps, and closing with the rebels, soon made the city of Mooltan their own.
Then a drill corporal took it upon him to bawl Number One as Captain Trebizondi should have done, some one shouted Number Two from "B" Company, the colour-sergeant of "C" bawled Number Three and then, with ready wit, the Captains of "D," "E," and "F" caught up the idea, and the thing was done. So far so good.
At this time nothing but the best seemed to satisfy the Fates. One day it would be a trusted colour-sergeant, on another a couple of particularly promising young corporals. Only last week the Adjutant athlete, scholar, born soldier, and very lovable schoolboy, all most perfectly blended had fallen mortally wounded, on his morning round of the fire-trenches, by a bullet which came from nowhere.
He employed the disc string to fasten the water-bottle of the man on his left to the haversack of the man on his right, and the colour-sergeant, livid with rage, vowed to chasten him by confining him eternally to barracks. But the undaunted company scapegrace was not to be beaten. Fastening the identity disc on his left eye he fixed a stern look on the sergeant.
"I'll have a shy at it," concluded the military gentleman, and roundly proposed a glass. "Well, I'm not a drinking man," said Harker. "Look here, now," cut in the other, "I'll tell you who I am: I'm Colour-Sergeant Brand of the Blankth. That'll tell you if I'm a drinking man or not."
I'm done anyhow; let me die quiet." And always would come back the cheery voice from doctor or officer or pal, "Done, colour-sergeant! Nonsense, man! Why, you'll be back to duty in a fortnight." And the answer was another choked groan. Hour by hour would day never break? Not yet; it was just twenty minutes to ten man by man they brought them down. The tent was carpeted now with limp bodies.
As Sainte-Beuve said of Rousseau, "he has at times a little goître in his voice." One sees the fulness of his limitations by comparing him with such great figures of Indian history as the Lawrences and Nicholson: in that comparison he shrinks at once to the dimensions of a colour-sergeant.
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