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Updated: July 29, 2025
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!
He is beyond the ordinary laws of casting. His work is very light, and he only manoeuvres at a foot-pace. Wherefore, so long as he can step out and look handsome, his well-being is assured. He knows more about the Regiment than the Adjutant, and could not make a mistake if he tried. The Drum-Horse of the White Hussars was only eighteen years old, and perfectly equal to his duties.
Men were shouting and cursing, and trying to pull clear of the Band which was being chased by the Drum-Horse whose rider had fallen forward and seemed to be spurring for a wager. The Colonel had gone over to the Mess for a drink. Most of the officers were with him, and the Subaltern of the Day was preparing to go down to the lines, and receive the watering reports from the Troop-Sergeant- Majors.
No one liked to run; but no one cared to go forward till the Colonel made a movement and laid hold of the skeleton's foot. The Band had halted some distance away, and now came back slowly. The Colonel called it, individually and collectively, every evil name that occurred to him at the time; for he had set his hand on the bosom of the Drum-Horse and found flesh and blood.
But one of the Subalterns Hogan-Yale, an Irishman bought the Drum-Horse for Rs. 160 at the sale, and the Colonel was wroth. Yale professed repentance he was unnaturally submissive and said that, as he had only made the purchase to save the horse from possible ill-treatment and starvation, he would now shoot him and end the business.
The pith of his speech was that, since the Drum-Horse in his old age had proved himself capable of cutting up the Whole Regiment, he should return to his post of pride at the head of the band, BUT the Regiment were a set of ruffians with bad consciences.
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