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At the harmonium presided Bandsman Harrison, of the Northamptons, who for the last two years has helped ever so well at the Sunday afternoon services of sacred song in Aldershot.
"To give to you. I see him the day before yesterday, and he told me to come to his rooms, and asked me about the bandsman whom the fellows said saved three people, and what your name might be. Then he asked if it was you who pulled him out, and I said it was, feeling quite queer the while; for it seemed so strange that you should have saved his life after all as took place.
"Can't I?" exclaimed the bandsman triumphantly. "I've lost the bass-drum!" Scotland Yard reproved the K. M. with deference, but severely. "You should have told us at once, sir," he said, "that you were carrying despatches. If you'd only shown your credentials, we'd had you safe on board two hours ago." The King's messenger blushed guiltily. He looked as though he wanted to run.
There has never been a time when the Jewish mind has not exercised itself profoundly on these deep and difficult questions; and the Hanover bandsman inherited from his Jewish ancestry an unusual interest in similar philosophical subjects.
When the Colonel cast the Drum-horse of the White Hussars, there was nearly a mutiny. The officers were angry, the Regiment were furious, and the Bandsman swore like troopers. The Drum-Horse was going to be put up to auction public auction to be bought, perhaps, by a Parsee and put into a cart!
The next minute Dick was in the act of raising his piccolo to his lips to shower out a burst of its bright bird-like music, while tramp, tramp, tramp, tramp, the men marched by, when his nerves suddenly seemed to be paralysed, his muscles refused to act, and he stood holding the tiny bright-keyed flute level with his chin, staring hard at a young officer, weary, covered with chalky dust, and with a set supercilious smile upon his lips, as he turned his eyes left to stare contemptuously at the young bandsman he passed.
"So you are awake; so it is not milk and water after all in those pretty blue veins! God! I will teach you to live!" And Tamara was not angry; she felt nothing except an unreasoning pleasure and exultation. The amateur bandsman came to a stop, and another took his place; but the spell fortunately was broken, and she could pull herself together and return to sane ways.
One day a bandsman, who was excellent as a clarionet- and violin-player, took his discharge-papers on expiration of term of service, and the bandmaster appeared at the adjutant's office with Sergeant Wolf to announce that the sergeant was even a better musician than the discharged man, and was desirous of giving up his "lance" rank and entering the band.
That would have been a grand thing for any man to be able truthfully to say under any circumstances: it was a marvellous thing for a man who had laboured under all the original disadvantages of Herschel a man who began life as a penniless German bandsman, and up to the age of thirty-six had never even looked through a telescope.
The past naturally grew farther off, and, unnaturally, seemed farther still; so that, before six months had passed, the young bandsman had thoroughly settled down to his music and military life, and began to find it enjoyable, in spite of the petty annoyances such as fall to the lot of all. For there was always something in the way.
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