I may now devote a few lines to the description of the cadets of my own
batch who joined with me, and with whom I was to compete during my
career at the Academy.
There were among the class some amusing characters, and others who had
marked individualities. Boys (for we were boys at that time, being
between fifteen and seventeen) have a singular peculiarity of being
turned out in similar patterns--that is, two boys belonging to different
families, who have never met and never been in similar conditions, yet
very often have exactly similar peculiarities. There was Kirk, who
never would rub up Indian ink or Prussian blue for himself, but would
always take dips from the saucers of other cadets. Then Sykes usually
began to work fearfully hard just when it was time to turn out; and
Pagner, another cadet, prided himself on being above Swat, and never
seemed to work at all--the fact being that he drove off all his
half-year's work till the last fortnight, and then tried to make up the
leeway by cramming night and day. He, however, could not manage this,
and, as the event proved, was spun at his probationary.
One of my greatest friends was D'Arcy. He was next above me in the
batch, and had been prepared for Woolwich by a private tutor. We found
that we had in common a taste for natural history, and whenever we had a
chance we used to go out in the Shooter's Hill woods and look for the
various grubs or insects that we were interested in. The way we used to
race up the hill and back again revealed to me a fact about myself that
I was before unacquainted with, viz, that I was a very fast runner for
about one hundred and fifty yards.
A boy who had been brought up as much alone as I had could not judge of
himself by a fair comparison, and though at Hostler's I was considered a
good runner, running was not much practised or thought of there.
D'Arcy, however, told me that he had been thought a very fast runner by
a boy who was a crack runner at Eton, and he was surprised to find how
easily I beat him.
In those days, at the Academy, there were no annual athletic sports as
there are now, for which the cadets regularly trained, and which made a
pleasant break during the half-year; and the only use of being a good
runner was in securing the first bat at cricket; for this was considered
to be the prize of the cadet who first touched the lodge when the parade
was broken off. This first bat I had frequently secured, and, though I
had not put out all my speed, I found I could beat some of the cadets
whose running I had heard spoken of as very good.
The subject of running having been discussed one day at our squad at
dinner, the head of the squad said he thought Horsford, a cadet in his
third term, the fastest hundred-yards' runner he had ever seen. Now, on
two occasions that I had run for the first bat I had tried against
Horsford, and on each occasion his position in the line had given him at
least three yards' start of me; still I had gained on him so that only a
yard separated us at last. From these trials I believed I could beat
Horsford, and, remembering the advice Howard had given me about being
prepared for any contest, I determined to keep up my running, and so I
generally ran one or two hundred yards at speed each day.
No one besides D'Arcy had noticed that I was very fast in running, so I
was what may be called "a dark horse," and I had a certain amount of
ambition in wishing to try my speed against Horsford.
One evening, when Brag was in a good temper, I said, "Who do you think
the fastest runner in the Academy?"
"For a hundred and twenty yards Horsford is. He has won nearly every
race he has run at that distance," replied Brag.
"I don't think he could give me ten yards in one hundred and twenty," I
replied.
Brag looked at me with curiosity when I said this, and asked if I could
run well.
I told him I believed I could, as I had tried several times, and
generally secured first bat (which, however, I was never allowed to
retain if an old cadet was near).
"I can run fairly," said Brag, "so I can soon find out what you can do.
Come out and have a trial. It's nearly dark, so we can keep the
secret."
Brag and I went out on the parade and paced off a hundred and twenty
yards, and laid down a white handkerchief to mark the distance. We
started ourselves, and commenced our race. Before we had gone thirty
yards I found I could go away from Brag very, easily. I kept beside him
for about seventy yards and then shot away, and beat him by nearly ten
yards.
When we pulled up, Brag said, "By George, you can run! Let me get my
wind, and then see if you can give me ten yards in one hundred and
twenty."
After a few minutes, Brag announced himself ready, and, having measured
ten good paces, we started at "One, two, three, and away!" and commenced
our second trial. Not being able to see the handkerchiefs till near
them, I did not know how to arrange my speed. I, however, caught and
passed Brag, and won by about two yards.
"I don't think there is anything the matter with me," said Brag, "and I
believe I've run all right; and if so, you've a tremendous turn of
speed. Now, you keep quiet about this, and I'll have some fun."
We went again to our rooms, and Brag recommenced his work and said
nothing to Snipson about our trial race.
On the following morning we had examinations, and those who had finished
their papers came out of academy. There was no drill, so the cadets
were scattered about the parade kicking the football and trying to kick
it against the face of the clock. I was looking on at this, and
watching for a chance of a kick, when I heard one old cadet call out to
another,--
"There's going to be a race soon?"
"Is there?" replied the cadet spoken to. "Yes, Brag says he's got a
neux he will back for one hundred and twenty yards against Horsford, if
he will give the neux five yards' start."
"Who is the neux?" inquired the cadet. "I believe it's Brag's own
neux--young Shepard."
"Oh, he's too short to run! Horsford will lick his head off! Here
comes Brag?"
I now saw Brag and about twenty old cadets coming from the library, and
my name was soon called. I went up to Brag, who said,--
"Shepard, you've to run a race for me, and if you don't win I'll scrag
you! It's one hundred and twenty yards, and you get five yards' start."
I asked leave to go to my room to get a pair of light shoes to run in,
and, on coming out, found Horsford with flannel trousers on, and all
ready for the race. By this time all the cadets had come out of
academy, and as any excitement was welcome, they all assembled on parade
and made two lines, between which we were to run. The distance was
carefully measured off, and I was placed five yards in front of
Horsford.
"Now mind your laurels, Horsford!" said one of his backers; "don't shave
it too close!"
"I can manage this lot, I think," he replied.
"Shepard, you'll get a licking if you're beaten!" said a cadet near.
"Who is backing Shepard?" inquired some old cadets.
"Only Brag," was the reply. "He's got an idea that Shepard can run,
from some trial he had with him, but no one ever heard of Shepard as a
runner. Brag has two or three pounds on the race, and I wouldn't be
Shepard for something, for Brag will vent his disappointment on him."
During this conversation, which I overheard, several cadets had cleared
the course and made a line of handkerchiefs at the winning-post, whilst
I toed a line five yards before Horsford. I kept taking long breaths so
as to oxygenise my blood well, for I hoped to run the whole distance
without taking breath. I felt great confidence in myself, because in
the races for the bat I fancied I was more speedy than Horsford; for I
did not imagine that he was concealing his speed for any purpose, so I
saw no reason to doubt the result.
Everything being ready, the word "Off!" was given, and away I went. I
was very quick at starting, and got well on my legs at once. I could
have run the whole distance at speed, but for the first sixty yards I
did not do all I knew. I dared not look round, for I had read in
sporting works that many races had been lost by doing so, so I could not
tell whether Horsford was near me. At about thirty yards from home,
however, I could feel that my opponent was close to me. There were
shouts of "Go it, Horsford!" "Run, little 'un!"
"Now for it, Horsford?" which showed me he was close to me; so, bracing
myself up, as it were, I dashed on with all my speed and carried away
the line of handkerchiefs on my chest.