The Cad of the Regiment
"This is the place where I was knifed, Paterson," said Ted, "and there's
the old boy I had been bargaining with. Watch him eyeing me; he looks
rather scared, don't he?"
The wound was now quite healed, and impelled doubtless by a magnetic
attraction, akin perhaps to that said to be exercised on murderers by
the scenes of their crimes, our ensign had induced his chum Paterson to
stroll with him through the _bazar_ one evening after duty was over for
the day.
While Ted had been down with his wound Alec Paterson had opened out in a
remarkable manner and thrown down the last barriers of reserve. Ensign
Paterson had only recently admitted Ted into close friendship. He was a
Scottish lad, hailing from Lanarkshire, and no better choice of a friend
could have been made. Physically he was tall and well-formed,
intellectually he was ahead of most of his brother ensigns, and in moral
character strong, upright, and healthy. He was very reserved, difficult
to know, chary of his intimacy, and slow of speech. Tynan termed him a
"saint", and cordially disliked him; and in return Paterson disproved
the accusation of saintliness by being obnoxiously polite and somewhat
ponderously playful in his dealings with the regimental _bête noir_.
"He does look scared," Alec replied. "He must think you were killed, and
that your ghost has come to jump down his throat or ride on his back,
or whatever it is that their evil spirits do. You had better speak and
reassure him."
As Ted approached the stall, the hand of the sleek Hindu shot forth
across the boards on which his wares were displayed and snatched
something from the front row. Not, however, before our hero had
recognized the identical bangle that he had bought and paid for on the
occasion of his previous visit. His face flushed.
"That is mine," he asserted. "I bought and paid for it."
Understanding that the bangle had been seen, and that denial was
useless, the shopkeeper salaamed and unabashed replied: "Nay, sahib, the
one you bought you took away, and I have never set eyes on it since."
"But you told me it was unique--that there was not another like it in
the country."
"I am the sahib's slave, and I spoke truth. There was not another like
it in the Punjab. But since the Heaven-born's visit a Kazilbash merchant
from Kabul, with whom I deal in turquoises, has sold me this. It is
indeed similar to the one I sold the sahib, but the turquoises are
larger and better. Welcome is the sight of the Heaven-born in the eyes
of his servant, who has suffered great anxiety."
"What's the row, Ted?" Paterson asked. And matters being explained, he
at once enquired of the Hindu why he had been so anxious to prevent the
bangle being seen if he had come by it honestly. But the "Aryan brown"
was more than their match in guile.
"In truth I remembered how the former one had brought ill-luck to the
young sahib, and I feared lest he might take a fancy to this one also.
And I know that the sahibs are reckless in such matters, not believing
in omens. Rather would I lose business than bring misfortune upon the
head of the young sahib."
Alec Paterson laughed.
"I'm afraid it's no go, Russell," he whispered. "The rascal is too deep
for us, and we cannot prove that it really is the same article."
"But it's robbery pure and simple!" Ted indignantly declared. "I know
it's the same that I lost during the scuffle."
The shopkeeper regarded them gravely and sadly, as though he felt deeply
the doubts they had cast upon his honesty. He produced one article after
another, tempting them in vain to buy. At length, guessing that the boy
had set his heart upon the bangle, he offered him the pretty toy for
thirty rupees, assuring him that he had given twice that sum to the
Kazilbash.
"I'll give you fifteen," said Ted, "and not an anna more."
The Hindu shook his head.
"I am poor man," said he, "else would I gladly beg the sahib to accept
it as a present."
"Very well," Ted firmly rejoined. "Come along, Alec."
They turned to go, but the Hindu hastily recalled them.
"Nay," said he, "I had forgotten that the sahib had to suffer the loss
of the first one. For twenty rupees will I sell it, or, in truth, give
it away, rather than that the Heaven-born should be disappointed."
"Fifteen," was all Ted's answer; and once more the bangle changed hands,
and the ensign left the shop. On the way to cantonments they overtook
Harry Tynan, the object of their mutual dislike, and were about to pass
with a nod as devoid of cordiality as decency would permit, when Tynan
spoke, or rather sneered: "Why, Russell, I thought you always took a
girl to protect you whenever you went into the _bazar_!"
"Did you really now?" asked Ted banteringly. "Wasn't it an effort?"
"What do you mean? Was what an effort?"
"To think--so unusual, you know, for you."
"Oh how clever you are! But how aren't you keeping an eye on Brother
Jim's future wife, according to instructions? I saw her this evening
flirting as usual with the Commissioner Sahib. You are not doing your
duty. Captain Russell 'ud be angry if he knew."
"Come along, Russell; what's the use of talking to that cad?" whispered
Paterson. "Contemptible toad!"
But his friend's ire had been aroused by the last remark. He halted and
faced Tynan.
"What d'you mean?" he demanded.
Tynan slowly drew a huge cheerot from his lips and attempted to blow
rings of smoke before replying.
"You know well enough. Stunnin' little flirt is Ethel--deuced stunnin'!
Shouldn't be surprised if she threw Brother Jim over!"
"What do you mean?" repeated Ted with still greater heat.
"Don't be an ass, Ted. Leave the cad alone," Paterson again whispered.
Tynan was Russell's senior by nearly a couple of years, and he stood a
clear three inches taller. Ted's anger amused him.
"Why--don't you know?" he innocently enquired. "You see, our little
Ethel had been setting her cap at Sir Arthur Fletcher for months before
she saw your brother. But Arthur knows what's what, and the little
darling has had to put up with a mere captain of the Guides. But she
still hankers after the commissioner, and sighs for the handle to her
name."
"Ye leein' hyæna!" Paterson burst out, his native dialect rising to the
surface in his excitement. "Keep a ceevil tongue in your heid, or I'll
knock ye down!"
"No, you don't, Paterson," broke in Ted. "That's my business. You cad,
to lie like that about a girl you're not fit to speak to! Take that!"
Our ensign struck his comrade across the face--a resounding smack with
the open palm.
The fight was very short. Though tall enough, Tynan was weedy and unfit.
For several years he had considered himself a man of the world, and one
of the chief aims--if not _the_ chief--of his life had been to convince
his associates that he was well qualified for that dignified position,
and the attainment of this object had, of course, necessitated abundant
smoking and drinking. Wonderful to relate, no one had so far seemed
greatly impressed!
Five minutes after the first blow, with bleeding nose and damaged eye,
the contemptible fellow was sullenly admitting that he had had enough.
"Think it over the nicht," Paterson suggested. "If ye hev not I'll just
gie ye seemilar satisfaction. And I'd hev ye obsairve it wad be safer to
cam' oot wi' no mair lees o' that sort. Cam' awa', Russell!"
"Wait a moment, I've not done yet," said Ted. "Let me inform you now,
you cad, what I would not waste my breath in telling you before--that
Miss Woodburn had refused Sir Arthur Fletcher before she became engaged
to my brother, and that he has congratulated my brother, and is a loyal,
honourable gentleman, of whose friendship Miss Woodburn is proud; and
don't let me hear you speaking of her again as you did just now."
The chums left the miserable being--neither man nor boy--to follow as he
chose.
"What garred ye say that last, Russell?" asked the Scottish lad, who was
still labouring under strong excitement, as soon as they had passed out
of hearing.
"What? About Fletcher?"
"Yea You'd no right to drag his refusal into the affair!" Paterson
dropped the tell-tale accent as he spoke more slowly. "That's between
him and Miss Woodburn, and he wouldn't thank you if he knew, nor would
she. It was perhaps very satisfying to you, but they don't need to be
defended from a fellow like our friend yonder."
"I'm very sorry--I'm a fool! I was so angry I didn't stop to think. Bah!
he leaves a bad taste in the mouth, that fellow!"
"We should have passed him without taking any notice," Paterson went on.
"But it served him right!"
For the future Tynan gave his conqueror a wide berth, and Ted ignored
his existence as far as their respective duties, would permit.
Returning from the officers' mess that evening, Ted was accosted by Pir
Baksh, the Mohammedan captain.
"I saw you fight with Ensign Tynan," said he. "He is the kind of officer
to ruin a regiment. Once he dared to call me a _soor_ (pig) before my
men, and I thank you, sahib, for teaching him a lesson."