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Promotion for bringing in a prisoner! What in thunder " He stopped for a moment in one of the cleared paths. From the big low roofed drill enclosure a hundred yards away came the dull thud of galloping hoofs and the voice of Sergeant Moody thundering instructions to the rookies. Moody had a heart like flint and would have faced blazing cannon to perform his duty.
"Plebes Flint and Austin are having a good many callers," remarked Dave Darrin, halting by the door of quarters before he and Dan entered. "Sure! Aren't you wise?" inquired Dan, with a wink. "I think so," murmured Dave. "The callers all seem to be third classmen." "Of course; they're putting the rookies through their paces." "Surest thing!" murmured Dalzell without excitement. "But this is March.
I'll fix it up all right. But I don't vant my place down on de blotter. Who vas it Jimmie?" The girl began to cry, and gulped the glass of whiskey on the table as she finally yielded to the tug of the sergeant. "Yes, it's Jimmie. An' he wasn't doin' a ting. Dese rookies is always makin' trouble fer me." She sobbed hysterically as the sergeant walked her out.
He liked Abe's bunkie, the boy Sanders, who was from Maine, while Abe was a Westerner the lineal descendant in frame, cast of mind, and character of the border backwoodsman of the Revolution. Reynolds was a bully, and Crittenden all but had trouble with him; for he bullied the boy Sanders when Abe was not around, and bullied the "rookies."
You don't want to lose your job do you?" "Hullo," the sergeant's eyes lit on John Andrews, "I'd forgotten you. Run around the room a little.... No, not that way. Just a little so I can test yer heart.... God, these rookies are thick."
As the men fell in in double rank there were a few cases of confusion, for some of the men were rookies who had joined only recently. "Sergeant Kelly, instruct the other sergeants to see to it that each man knows his exact place in company formation," Dick ordered. "Yes, sir," replied Kelly. The corporals reported briskly the absentees, if any, in their squads.
"Brankley is some connosser I will admit," he conceded grudgingly, "but Kissiwasti's got orl th' 'toppin orf wot's good fur 'im dahn Regina 'e went through a reg'lar course dahn there took 'is degree, so t' speak. . . . I uster tike an' 'ang 'is kydge hup in that little gallery in th' ridin school of a mornin' when Inspector Chappell, th' ridin' master wos breakin' in a bunch o' rookies 'toppin' orf, wot? . . ."
I spent the balance of the day seeing the sights of London, and incidentally spending my coin. When I went around to the Horse Guards next morning, two hundred others, new rookies like myself, were waiting. An officer gave me another two shillings, sixpence. I began to think that if the money kept coming along at that rate the British army might turn out a good investment. It didn't.
"Appears to me the fighting these days is grovelling in the dirt and taking care nobody don't get hurt!" "Oh, there'll be enough hurt don't you worry about that!" said a voice from the line. "Good thing an old fellow who's been under fire is along to stiffen you rookies!" replied grandfather tartly. "You'll be all right once you get going. You'll settle down to be real soldiers yet.
The door flew inward, as it had done once before that day, and closed with a bang behind him. Long were the days and oh! wicked the weather Endless and thankless the round Grinding God's Grit into rookies together; I was the upper stone, he was the nether, And Gad, sir, they groaned as we ground! But hell's loose! The dam's down, and none can repair it! 'Tis our turn!
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