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Updated: May 11, 2025
It was the least he could do; but not the most lavish praise in the world held half as much appreciation and reverence as The Infant's simple "Say when, sir," above the long glass. Cleever said "when," and more thereto, for he was a golden talker, and he sat in the midst of hero-worship devoid of all taint of self-interest.
After I had to lie doggo I began to look for something to do, and I was great pals with a man called Hicksey in the Police, the best man that ever stepped on earth; a first-class man." Cleever nodded applause. He knew how to appreciate enthusiasm. "Hicksey and I were as thick as thieves. He had some Burma mounted police rummy chaps, armed with sword and Snider carbine.
Cleever took in the idea slowly. "Seen service?" said he. Then, as a child might ask, "Tell me. Tell me everything about everything." "How do you mean?" said The Infant, delighted at being directly appealed to by the great man. "Good Heavens! How am I to make you understand, if you can't see. In the first place, what is your age?" "Twenty-three next July," said The Infant promptly.
I wrote from seven to half-past two; but, partly that I had five proof-sheets to correct, partly that like old John Fraser "I was not very cleever to-day." I made out but a page and a half. September 5. Wrote task and half a page more. Terry arrived and brought with him a Mr. Bruce, from Persia, with an introduction, forsooth, from Mr. Blackwood.
"To me," said Cleever softly, "the whole idea of warfare seems so foreign and unnatural, so essentially vulgar, if I may say so, that I can hardly appreciate your sensations. Of course, though, any change from idling in garrison towns must be a godsend to you."
He seemed to forget that even subalterns might have engagements of their own. "We're thinking of dining out somewhere the lot of us and going on to the Empire afterwards," said Nevin, with hesitation. He did not like to ask Cleever to come too. The invitation might be regarded as perilously near to "cheek."
"He was awfly popular with the men," said The Infant. "He had them all down in rhyme as soon as ever they had done anything. He was a great bard. He was always ready with an elegy when we picked up a Boh that's a leader of dacoits." "How did you pick him up?" said Cleever. "Oh! shot him if he wouldn't surrender." "You! Have you shot a man?"
The Infant dropped into the true barrack-room twang: "Theebaw, the Burma king, did a very foolish thing, When 'e mustered 'ostile forces in ar-rai, 'E little thought that we, from far across the sea, Would send our armies up to Mandalai!" "0 gorgeous !" said Cleever. "And how magnificently direct! The notion of a regimental bard is new to me, but of course it must be so."
Like many home-staying Englishmen, Cleever believed that the newspaper phrase he quoted covered the whole duty of the Army whose toils enabled him to enjoy his many-sided life in peace.
"Oh, keeping things in order generally, and running about after little dakus that's dacoits -and so on. There's nothing to explain." "Make that young Leviathan speak," said Cleever impatiently, above his glass. "How can he speak?" said I. "He's done the work. The two don't go together. But, Infant, you're ordered to bukb." "What about? I'll try." "Bukb about a daur.
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