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In a short time now all risk of further spreading of the fire was at an end, and the question arose, to be discussed by officers and non-coms, as to whether, as the Malays seemed to have retreated, something should not be done in the way of extinguishing the flames by bringing entrenching tools to bear and smothering them out with earth. "No," said the Major; "it will be useless toil.
The men were turned over for musketry instruction to Captain McGregor. Fortunately, we had several good musketry instructors, among them Sergeant Hawkins, winner of the King's prize at Bisley, Sergeant Graham and Sergeant Williams, bayonet instructor. All young men who desired to qualify as non-coms. and instructors were asked to join these classes, and they responded in large numbers.
"Did you read the paper?" asked Crothers. "It was dated Aden non-coms' mess of some regiment or other. 'This is to certify that this regiment taught Hassan Ah to use his fists, and that he has since licked every single mother's son of us! Pity I didn't see that first, eh?" "Oh, I dunno," said Joe Byng, who had not had to do the fighting. "You licked the savage, anyway." Hassan Ah was right.
On the quarter-deck the officers drank champagne, in the captain's cabin Hughes treated the traders to beer, in the "square" the non-coms. of the W.A.F.F.'s drank ale. The men who were going away on leave tried not to look too happy, and those who were going back to the shore drank deep and tried not to appear too carelessly gay.
He strook him! screeches out Scrub Greene, who was always a lawyer; an' some of the men tuk up the shoutin'. "'Peg out that man! sez me orf'cer bhoy, niver losin' his timper; an' the non-coms wint in and pegged out Scrub Greene by the side av Peg Barney. "I cud see that the draf' was comin' roun'. The men stud not knowin' fwhat to do. "'Get to your tents! sez me orf'cer bhoy.
They were none of them very well educated, and I suppose that it was only natural that they should fear the advancement of a youngster better tutored than themselves, and should do their best to keep him down. One only found this disposition amongst the younger non-coms. men who had not held their places long enough to grow used to the dignity of rank.
"The non-coms tuk Peg Barney a howlin' handful he was an' in three minut's he was pegged out chin down, tight-dhrawn on his stummick, a tent-peg to each arm an' leg, swearin' fit to turn a naygur white.
I looked at him mud to the waist, and his hands all blistered and cut with unaccustomed labour. I could realize what his associates must mean to him, and how he would relish the rough tonguing of non-coms. 'You're a confounded humbug, I said. 'Why on earth didn't you go into an O.T.C. and come out with a commission? They're easy enough to get. 'You mistake my case, he said bitterly.
Out at the barracks of the West African Frontier Force, the W.A.F.F.'s, the officers, instead of from the shade of the veranda watching the non-coms. teach a native the manual, were themselves at work, and each was howling orders at the black recruits and smashing a gun against his hip and shoulder as smartly as a drill sergeant.
But he held the same opinion as did the Grand Duke of Oldenburg concerning lêse-majesté: that the insult of a fool is no insult. "Be calm, my dear Wegstetten," he said. "Let your count take himself off. But you had better just send some one up there one of the non-coms, upon whom you can rely to fetch down that placard before any of the men can get hold of it.
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