THE REVIEW.
Soon after Jack returned to duty the regiment was ordered to prepare to
march to Chobham, there to go under canvas.
On the following Thursday morning they started, and a very pleasant
march they had. In the afternoon they reached the camp, pitched tents,
and settled down in glorious weather. All arms were represented, and the
men enjoyed the affair immensely. On the Saturday there was a big
field-day, Jack’s regiment representing the attacking cavalry.
About midday the ‘Cease fire,’ was sounded, and Jack’s troop was halted
at an old-fashioned inn standing on the heath. As they dismounted, Jack
noticed that the band of the regiment were standing and sitting about as
though they had been halted there while the rest of the regiment had
been engaged in the field. He loosened his saddle-girths and fastened
Dainty’s bridle to the pillar of a little rustic arbour beside the inn,
while he went inside to get a crust of bread and cheese. In a few
minutes an orderly galloped up, bringing word from the colonel that the
troop was to rejoin the regiment at once to form up for the march past.
As Jack went towards the little arbour, to his surprise he saw Napper
glide out, hurry away towards the band, most of whom were already
mounted, and swing himself into the saddle. Hastily tightening up his
girths, Jack mounted just as the band trotted off.
Dainty was strangely restive, pawing the ground, tossing her head, and
fidgeting about. Jack tried to calm her as he fell in with his troop;
but Dainty, instead of keeping her position just behind the captain’s
horse, was prancing and curveting all over the road. Jack patted her and
uttered soothing words; then tried touching the curb and letting her
feel the spur. But it was all to no purpose. There was no opportunity of
dismounting to see what ailed her, for immediately on coming up with the
regiment, while the band trotted off to take its place at the saluting
base with the other bands, Jack’s troop wheeled with C Troop into column
of squadrons, and advanced at a walk to take up ground for the march
past. Dainty got quieter, and Jack spoke endearing words to her, for she
was a beautiful creature and Jack had a true cavalryman’s love for his
horse.
Presently, the regiment being in line, the march past commenced, and by
a great effort Jack managed to keep his horse under control and in its
place, which was well for him, for the eyes of his captain were on him,
and woe to the man who broke the line. When the regiment broke into a
trot Dainty got almost unmanageable, and the perspiration broke out all
over Jack through the struggle between him and his horse.
Then came the final charge. The Horse Artillery thundered by at a
gallop, its guns jolting and bumping; then the Lancers and Hussars in a
long double line, with lances in rest and waving sabres, galloped madly
forward, right on to the front of the thousands of spectators. As the
regiment galloped on Dainty got more and more unmanageable, and the
thunder of fifteen hundred hoofs, the clank and jangle of
accoutrements, the loud shouts of the troopers, all tended to render
the bay still more wild. She raced along, kicking and plunging, her ears
down, shaking her head angrily, and Jack had all he could do to hold her
in and prevent her passing the squadron leaders.
The line of spectators watching the advancing horsemen got closer and
closer till the colonel held his sword aloft, his trumpeter rang out the
halt, and men and officers pulled up dead and began dressing their
lines.
Jack drew hard on his bridle, but Dainty never paused for a second. Like
a flash she shot past the squadron leaders, and with an angry snort went
straight at the spectators in front. Jack realised the awful danger of a
catastrophe, and dropping his bugle he seized the bridle with both hands
and tugged with all his might at his horse’s head. Futile effort; Dainty
had got the bit between her teeth and was racing forward. Jack knew the
horse had run away with him, and shouted at the top of his voice to the
people in front to get out of his way. This several did, with loud cries
of fear; but a nurse-girl, who had charge of a chubby little boy of some
three or four, seemed paralysed by fear and stood rooted to the spot.
Her charge, the sun gleaming on his golden curly hair, ran out right in
front of the maddened horse, and a great cry of horror went up from
those around.
Nerved to an almost superhuman effort by the thought of the danger of
the laughing child almost under his charger’s hoofs, Jack threw forward
his feet, getting a good grip on his stirrups, then with all his
strength he wrenched Dainty’s mouth till she threw up her head. Lying
back, he dragged at her till her head was pulled back right against his
chest. The animal reared almost straight up on her hind-legs and
remained some seconds, while the child’s nurse, recovering from her
stupor, rushed forward, dragged the little boy right from under the
iron-shod hoofs pawing the air above him, and in an instant had the
child in safety, when she fell in a swoon.
Jack, just as he heard the thudding of hoofs behind him, slipped off
over the hind-quarters of Dainty; and then, still gripping the bridle,
he pulled her sharply backward, when she overbalanced and came right
over on her back, dashing Jack to the ground with her. Before she could
scramble to her feet and start off again, Jack saw a number of mounted
figures close round him and his horse. Dainty was captured, and some one
dismounting ran towards Jack just as he lost consciousness. He soon,
however, came to himself to find the regimental doctor feeling for
broken limbs, and a newly joined officer, Cornet Leland of his troop,
supporting his head.
Jack, fearing that he had made but a sorry exhibition of horsemanship,
and thinking he might get into trouble for thus bringing his regiment
into unpleasant prominence, struggled to his feet, asserting that he was
all right. He saw that a Hussar trumpeter had unsaddled Dainty, who now
stood quiet enough while the regimental sergeant-major was examining
her.
‘Are you able to walk, do you think?’ asked Cornet Leland kindly.
‘I think so, sir,’ replied Jack; and he tried, but his left leg pained
him so much that he almost cried out with the pain. He had been thrown
on to the hilt of his sword, which had badly bruised his left hip.
Sergeant Barrymore came trotting back from the
[Illustration: Dragged the little boy right from under the iron-shod
hoofs.
PAGE 74
]
colonel to see the extent of the damage. The crowd was getting pressing
in its attentions; and, with the true military dislike of civilian
interference, Jack saying he felt all right, he was assisted again on to
Dainty, she having been resaddled. Sergeant Barrymore took the bridle of
the now docile animal, and the others mounting and trotting off to their
places, Jack and Barrymore made for the camp, the crowd giving the
former a spontaneous cheer as they did so. In this fashion they reached
the camp, where Jack was at once put to bed and his bruises and
contusions medically treated.
For many painful hours he lay awake, Will Hodson, Sergeants Linham and
Barrymore, and many others dropping in to chat for a few minutes with
him.
‘The reason why your horse was so unmanageable was that she had
something pricking and scratching her all the while,’ said Sergeant
Barrymore; ‘one side is all torn and lacerated just under the
saddle-girth. You could not have spurred her there if you had tried.
It’s very strange.’
It was very strange, and, as well as his aching head would let him, Jack
tried to think the matter out; but at last he fell into a troubled sleep
without arriving at any solution of the mystery.