ENLISTED.
It was a bright moonlight night when the boys, after a sad farewell
from Rhoda, let themselves down from the window, and started upon
their journey. Each carried a bundle on a stick; each bundle contained
a suit of clothes, a few shirts and stockings, a pair of shoes, and a
pistol. The other pistols were carried loaded inside their jackets,
for there was no saying whom they might meet upon the road. They had
put on the oldest suit of clothes they possessed, so as to attract as
little attention as possible by the way. After they had once recovered
from their parting with Rhoda their spirits rose, and they tramped
along lightly and cheerfully. It was eleven o'clock when they started,
and through the night they did not meet a single person. Towards
morning they got under a haystack near the road, and slept for some
hours; then they walked steadily on until they had done twenty miles
since their start. They went into a small inn, and had some breakfast,
and then purchasing some bread and cold ham, went on through the town,
and leaving the London road, followed that leading to Portsmouth, and
after a mile or two again took up their quarters until evening, in a
haystack.
It is not necessary to give the details of the journey to Portsmouth.
After the first two days' tramp, having no longer any fear of the
pursuit, which, no doubt, had been made for them when first missed,
they walked by day, and slept at night in sheds, or under haystacks,
as they were afraid of being questioned and perhaps stopped at inns.
They walked only short distances now, for the first night's long
journey had galled their feet, and, as Tom said, they were not pressed
for time, and did not want to arrive at Portsmouth like two limping
tramps. Walking, therefore, only twelve miles a day after the first
two days, they arrived at Portsmouth fresh and in high spirits.
They had met with no adventures upon the road, except that upon one
occasion two tramps had attempted to seize their bundles, but the
production of the pistols, and the evident determination of the boys
to use them if necessary, made the men abandon their intention and
make off, with much bad language and many threats, at which the boys
laughed disdainfully.
Arrived at Portsmouth, their first care was to find a quiet little
inn, where they could put up. This they had little difficulty in
doing, for Portsmouth abounded with public-houses, and people were so
much accustomed to young fellows tramping in with their bundles, to
join their ships, that their appearance excited no curiosity whatever.
Tom looked older than he really was, although not tall for his age,
while Peter, if anything, overtopped his brother, but was slighter,
and looked fully two years younger. Refreshed by a long night's sleep
between sheets, they started out after breakfast to see the town, and
were greatly impressed and delighted by the bustle of the streets,
full of soldiers and sailors, and still more by the fortifications and
the numerous ships of war lying in the harbor, or out at Spithead.
A large fleet of merchantmen was lying off at anchor, waiting for a
convoy, and a perfect fleet of little wherries was plying backwards
and forwards between the vessels and the shore.
"It makes one almost wish to be a sailor," Peter said, as they sat
upon the Southsea beach, and looked out at the animated ocean.
"It does, Peter; and if it had been ten years back, instead of at
present, I should have been ready enough to change our plans. But what
is the use of going to sea now? The French and Spanish navies skulk in
harbor, and the first time our fellows get them out they will he sure
to smash them altogether, and then there is an end to all fighting.
No, Peter, it looks tempting, I grant, but we shall see ten times as
much with the army. We must go and settle the thing to-morrow. There
is no time to be lost if the expedition starts in a fortnight or three
weeks."
Returning into the town, the boys were greatly amused at seeing a
sailor's wedding. Four carriages and pair drove along; inside were
women, while four sailors sat on each roof, waving their hats to the
passers-by, and refreshing themselves by repeated pulls at some black
bottles, with which they were well supplied. Making inquiries, the
boys found that the men belonged to a fine frigate which had come in a
day or two before, with several prizes.
The next morning they went down to the barracks. Several
non-commissioned officers, with bunches of gay ribbons in their caps,
were standing about. Outside the gates were some boards, with notices,
"Active young fellows required. Good pay, plenty of prize-money, and
chances, of promotion!"
The boys read several of these notices, which differed only from each
other in the name of the regiment; and then Tom gave an exclamation of
satisfaction as he glanced at a note at the foot of one of them, "Two
or three active lads wanted as buglers."
"There we are, Peter; and, oh, what luck! it is Uncle Peter's
regiment! Look here, Peter," he said, after a pause, "we won't say
anything about being his nephews, unless there is no other way of
getting taken; for if we do it won't be nice. We shall be taken notice
of, and not treated like other fellows, and that will cause all sorts
of ill-feeling and jealousy, and rows. It will be quite time to say
who we are when we have done something to show that we shan't do
discredit to him. You see it isn't much in our favor that we are here
as two runaway boys. If we were older we could go as volunteers, but
of course we are too young for that."
It should be mentioned that in those days it was by no means unusual
for young men who had not sufficient interest to get commissions to
obtain permission to accompany a regiment as volunteers. They paid
their own expenses, and lived with the officers, but did duty as
private soldiers. If they distinguished themselves, they obtained
commissions to fill up vacancies caused in action.
"There is our sergeant, Tom; let's get it over at once."
"If you please," Tom said, as they went up to the sergeant, "are you
the recruiting sergeant of the Norfolk Rangers?"
"By Jove, Summers, you are in luck to-day," laughed one of the other
sergeants; "here are two valuable recruits for the Rangers. The
Mounseers will have no chance with the regiment with such giants as
those in it. Come, my fine fellows, let me persuade you to join the
15th. Such little bantams as you are would be thrown away upon the
Rangers."
There was a shout of laughter from the other non-commissioned
officers.
Tom was too much accustomed to chaffing bargees at Eton to be put out
of countenance.
"We may be bantams," he said, "but I have seen a bantam lick a big
dunghill cock many a time. Fine feathers don't always make fine birds,
my man."
"Well answered, young one," the sergeant of the Rangers said, while
there was a general laugh among the others, for the sergeant of the
15th was not a favorite.
"You think yourself sharp, youngster," he said angrily. "You want a
licking, you do; and if you were in the 15th, you'd get it pretty
quickly."
"Oh! I beg your pardon," Tom said gravely; "I did not know that the
15th were famous for thrashing boys. Thank you; when I enlist it shall
be in a regiment where men hit fellows their own size."
There was a shout of laughter, and the sergeant, enraged, stepped
forward, and gave Tom a swinging box on the ear.
There was a cry of "shame" from the others; but before any of them
could interfere, Tom suddenly stooped, caught the sergeant by the
bottom of the trousers, and in an instant he fell on his back with a
crash.
For a moment he was slightly stunned, and then, regaining his feet, he
was about to rush at Tom, when the others threw themselves in between
them, and said he should not touch the boy. He struck him first, and
the boy had only given him what served him right.
The sergeant was furious, and an angry quarrel was going on, when an
officer of the Rangers came suddenly out of barrack.
"Hullo, Summers, what is all this about? I am surprised at you. A lot
of non-commissioned officers, just in front of the barrack gates,
quarreling like drunken sailors in a pothouse. What does it all mean?"
"The fact is this, Captain Manley," the sergeant said, saluting,
"these two lads came up to speak to me, when Sergeant Billow chaffed
them. The lad gave the sergeant as good as he got, and the sergeant
lost his temper, and hit him a box on the ear, and in a moment the
young one tripped him up, and pretty nigh stunned him; when he got up
he was going at the boy, and, of course, we wouldn't have it."
"Quite right," Captain Manley said. "Sergeant Billow, I shall forward
a report to your regiment. Chaffing people in the street, and then
losing your temper, striking a boy, and causing a disturbance. Now,
sergeant," he went on, as the others moved away, "do you know those
boys?"
"No, sir; they are strangers to me."
"Do you want to see the sergeant privately, lads, or on something
connected with the regiment?"
"I see that you have vacancies for buglers, sir," Tom said, "and my
brother and myself want to enlist if you will take us."
Captain Manley smiled. "You young scamps, you have got 'runaway from
home' as plainly on your faces as if it was printed there. If we
were to enlist you, we should be having your friends here after you
to-morrow, and get into a scrape for taking you."
"We have no friends who will interfere with us, sir, I can give you my
word of honor as a gentleman." Captain Manley laughed. "I mean," Tom
said confused, "my word of honor, as--as an intending bugler."
"Indeed we have no one to interfere with us in any way, sir," Peter
put in earnestly. "We wouldn't tell a lie even to enlist in the
Rangers."
Captain Manley was struck by the earnestness of the boys' faces, and
after a pause he said to the sergeant,--
"That will do, Summers; I will take these lads up to my quarters and
speak to them."
Then, motioning to the boys to follow him, he re-entered the barracks,
and led the way up to his quarters.
"Sit down," he said, when they had entered his room. "Now, boys, this
is a foolish freak upon your part, which you will regret some day. Of
course you have run away from school."
"No, sir, we have run away from home," Tom said.
"So much the worse," Captain Manley said gravely. "Tell me frankly,
why did you do so? No unkindness at home can excuse boys from running
away from their parents."
"We have none, sir," Tom said. "We have lost them both--our mother
many years ago, our father six months. Our only living relation,
except a younger sister, is an aunt, who considers us as nuisances,
and who, although meaning to do her duty, simply drives us out of our
minds."
Captain Manley could not resist a smile. "Do you not go to school?"
"We did go to a school near, but unfortunately it is broken up."
Captain Manley caught a little look of amusement between the boys. "I
should not be surprised if you had something to do with its breaking
up," he said with a laugh. "But to return to your coming here. There
is certainly less reason against your joining than I thought at first,
but you are too young."
"We are both strong, and are good walkers," Tom said.
"But you cannot be much over fifteen," Captain Manley said, "and your
brother is younger."
"We are accustomed to strong exercise, sir, and can thrash most
fellows of our own size."
"Very likely," Captain Manley said, "but we can't take that into
consideration. You are certainly young for buglers for service work;
however, I will go across with you to the orderly-room, and hear what
the colonel says."
Crossing the barrack-yard, they found the colonel was in and
disengaged.
"Colonel Tritton," Captain Manley said, "these lads want to enlist as
buglers."
The colonel looked up and smiled. "They look regular young pickles,"
he said. "I suppose they have run away from school."
"Not from school, colonel. They have lost both parents, and live with
an aunt, with whom they don't get on well. There does not seem to be
much chance of their being claimed."
"You are full young," the colonel said, "and I think you will be
sorry, boys, for the step you want to take."
"I don't think so, sir," Tom said.
"Of course, you don't at present," the colonel said. "However, that is
your business. Mind, you will have a rough time of it; you will have
to fight your way, you know."
"I'll back them to hold their own," Captain Manley said, laughing.
"When I went out at the barrack-gate just now there was a row among a
lot of recruiting sergeants, and when I went up to put a stop to it, I
found that a fellow of the 15th had chaffed these boys when they went
up to speak to Summers, and that they had got the best of it in that
line; and the fellow having lost his temper and struck one of them, he
found himself on his back on the pavement. The boy had tripped him up
in an instant."
The colonel laughed, and then said suddenly and sharply to Peter,
"Where did you learn that trick, youngster?"
"At Eton," Peter answered promptly, and then colored up hotly at his
brother's reproachful glance.
"Oh, ho! At Eton, young gentlemen, eh!" the colonel said. "That
alters the matter. If you were at Eton your family must be people of
property, and I can't let you do such a foolish thing as enlist as
buglers."
"Our father lost all his money suddenly, owing to a blackguard he
trusted cheating him. He found it out, and it killed him," Tom said
quietly.
The colonel saw he was speaking the truth. "Well, well," he said
kindly, "we must see what we can do for you, boys. They are young,
Manley, but that will improve, and by the time that they have been a
year at the depôt--"
"Oh, if you please, colonel," Tom said, "we want to go on foreign
service, and it's knowing that your regiment was under orders for
foreign service we came to it."
"Impossible!" the colonel said shortly.
"I am very sorry for that, sir," Tom said respectfully, "for we would
rather belong to this regiment than any in the service; but if you
will not let us go with it we must try another."
"Why would you rather belong to us than to any other?" the colonel
asked, as the boys turned to leave the room.
"I had rather not say, sir," Tom said. "We have a reason, and a very
good one, but it is not one we should like to tell."
The colonel was silent for a minute. He was struck with the boys'
appearance and manner, and was sorry at the thought of losing them,
partly from interest in themselves, partly because the sea service was
generally so much more attractive to boys, that it was not easy to get
them to enlist as buglers and drummers.
"You see, lads, I should really like to take you, but we shall be
starting in a fortnight, and it would be altogether impossible for you
to learn to sound the bugle, to say nothing of learning the calls, by
that time."
"We can't play well, sir," Tom answered, his spirits rising again,
"but we have practiced for some time, and know a good many of the
calls."
"Oh, indeed!" the colonel said, pleased; "that alters the case. Well,
lads, I should like to take you with the regiment, for you look
straightforward, sharp young fellows. So I will enlist you. Work hard
for the next fortnight, and if I hear a favorable report of you by
that time, you shall go."
"Thank you very much," the boys said warmly, delighted to find their
hopes realized.
"What are your names?" the colonel asked.
"Tom and Peter," Tom answered.
"Tom and Peter what?" the colonel said.
The boys looked at each other. The fact that they would of course
be asked their names had never occurred to them, and they not had
therefore consulted whether to give their own or another name.
"Come, boys," Colonel Tritton said good-temperedly, "never be ashamed
of your names; don't sail under false colors, lads. I am sure you will
do nothing to disgrace your names."
Tom looked at Peter, and saw that he agreed to give their real names,
so he said, "Tom and Peter Scudamore."
"Peter Scudamore! Why, Manley, these boys must be relations of the
dear old colonel. That explains why they chose the regiment. Now,
boys, what relation was he of yours?"
"I do not admit that he was a relation at all, colonel," Tom said
gravely, "and I hope that you will not ask the question. Supposing
that he had been a relation of ours, we should not wish it to be
known. In the first place, it would not be altogether creditable to
his memory that relations of his should be serving as buglers in
his old regiment; and in the second place, it might be that, from
a kindness towards him, some of the officers might, perhaps, treat
us differently to other boys, which would make our position more
difficult by exciting jealousy among others. Should there be any
relation between him and us, it will be time enough for us to claim
it when we have shown ourselves worthy of it."
"Well said, boys," the officers both exclaimed. "You are quite right,"
the colonel went on, "and I respect your motive for keeping silence.
What you say about jealousy which might arise is very sensible and
true. At the same time, I will promise you that I will keep my eye
upon you, and that if an opportunity should occur in which I can give
you a chance of showing that there is more in you than in other boys,
be sure you shall have the chance."
"Thank you very much indeed, colonel," both boys exclaimed.
"Now, Manley, I shall be obliged if you will take them to the
adjutant, and tell him to swear them in and attest them in regular
form; the surgeon will, of course, examine them. Please tell the
quartermaster to get their uniforms made without loss of time; and
give a hint to the bugle-major that I should be pleased if he will pay
extra attention to them, and push them on as fast as possible."
Captain Manley carried out these instructions, the boys were duly
examined by the surgeon and passed, and in half an hour became His
Majesty's servants.
"Now, boys," Captain Manley said as he crossed with them to the
quarters of the bandmaster, "you will have rather a difficult course
to steer, but I have no doubt you will get through it with credit.
This is something like a school, and you will have to fight before you
find your place. Don't be in a hurry to begin; take all good-natured
chaff good-naturedly; resent any attempt at bullying. I have no doubt
you will be popular, and it is well that you should be so, for then
there will be no jealousy if your luck seems better than that of
others. They will, of course, know that you are differently born and
educated to themselves, but they will not like you any the worse for
that, if they find that you do not try to keep aloof from them or give
yourselves airs. And look here, boys, play any tricks you like with
the men, but don't do it with the non-commissioned officers. There is
nothing they hate so much as impudence from the boys, and they have
it in their power to do you a great deal of good or of harm. You will
not have much to do with the bandmaster. Only a portion of the band
accompanies us, and even that will be broken up when we once enter
upon active campaigning. Several of the company buglers have either
left lately, or have got their stripes and given up their bugles, and
I do not fancy that their places will be filled up before we get out
there. Now, your great object will be to get two of these vacancies. I
am afraid you are too young, still there will be plenty more vacancies
after we are once in the field, for a bullet has no respect for
buglers; and you see the better you behave the better your chance of
being chosen."
"What is the difference exactly, sir?" Tom asked.
"The company bugler ranks on the strength of the company, messes,
marches, and goes into action with them; the other buglers merely form
part of the band, are under the bandmaster, play at the head of the
regiment on its march, and help in the hospitals during a battle."
"Macpherson," he said as he entered the bandmaster's quarters, where a
number of men and a few lads were practicing, "I have brought you two
lads who have entered as buglers."
The bandmaster was a Scotchman--a stiff-looking, elderly man.
"Weel, Captain Manley, I'm wanting boys, but they look vera young, and
I misdoubt they had better have been at school than here. However,
I'll do my best with them; they look smart lads, and we shall have
plenty of time at the depôt to get them into shape."
"Lots of time, Macpherson, lots of time. They say they know a few
calls on the bugle, so perhaps they had better stick to the calls at
present; you will have plenty of time to begin with them regularly
with the notes when all the bustle is over."
"Eh, ye know the calls, boys? Hardy and Graves, give them your bugles,
and let us hear them. Now for the advance."
Tom and Peter felt very nervous, but they had really practiced hard
for an hour a day for the last four months, and could play all the
calls they knew steadily and well. The bandmaster made no remark until
they had sounded some half a dozen calls as he named them, and then
he said, "The lads have a vera gude idea of it, Captain Manley. They
are steadier and clearer than mony a one of the boys already. Will ye
begin at once, lads, or will ye wait till ye get your uniform?"
"We had rather begin at once," the boys answered together.
"Vera gude. Hardy, take two bugles out of the chest, and then take
these lads--What's your name, boys? Eh? Scudamore? A vera gude
name--take them over to Corporal Skinner, he will be practicing with
the others on the ramp."
With a word of grateful thanks to Captain Manley as he went out before
them, the boys followed their new guide out to the ramparts. A guide
was hardly necessary, for an incessant bugling betokened the place,
where, in one of the bastions behind the barracks, seven or eight
buglers were sounding the various calls under the direction of
Corporal Skinner.
The corporal was a man of few words, for he merely nodded when the
boy--who had not opened his lips on the way, indeed, he was too busy
wondering who these young swells were, and what they had run away for,
to say a word--gave the bandmaster's message to the effect that the
new-comers knew some of the calls and were to be under his tuition for
the present, pointed to them where to stand, and in another minute Tom
and Peter were hard at work adding to the deafening din. After half
an hour's practice they were pleased at seeing Captain Manley stroll
up and call their instructor aside, and they felt sure that he was
speaking to him of them. This was so, for the officer was carrying out
the instructions he had received from Colonel Tritton.
"Corporal," he said, "I want to say a word to you about those boys who
have just joined. They seem to have a fair idea of the calls."
"Yes, sir, they only know a few, but those they do know they can sound
as well as any of them."
"That is right, corporal. Now look here, what I am going to say is not
to go farther, you understand."
"Yes, sir, I will keep my mouth shut."
"Very well. You can see the lads are not like most of our band boys.
They are a gentleman's sons who have got into some scrape or other and
run away from school."
"I was thinking as much, sir."
"The colonel believes that he knows their family, Skinner; but of
course, that will not make any difference in regard to them. Still he
would be pleased, I know, if they could sound the calls well enough to
go with the regiment. They are most anxious to learn. Now I shall be
glad if you can get them up to the mark. It will, of course, entail a
lot of extra trouble upon you, but if you can get them fit in time, I
will pay you a couple of guineas for your extra time."
"Thank you, sir," the corporal saluted. "I think I can manage it--at
any rate if I don't it won't be for want of trying."
"Who are those nice-looking lads I saw with you, Manley?" Major James
asked as the captain came into the messroom to lunch.
"Those are two buglers in his Majesty's Norfolk Rangers."
There was a general laugh.
"No, but really, Manley, who are they? I was quite struck with them;
good style of boys."
"It is a fact, major. Harding will tell you so," and he nodded to the
adjutant.
"Yes, Manley is saying the thing that's right," the adjutant answered.
"The doctor passed them, and I swore them in."
"I am sorry for it," the major said. "There were three or four of us
standing on the mess-room steps and we all noticed them. They were
gentlemen, if I ever saw one, and a hard life they will have of it
with the band boys. However, they are not likely to stay there. They
have run away from school, of course, and will be claimed. I wonder
you enlisted them."
"The colonel's orders, major," the adjutant said. "Manley took them to
him, I believe, and then brought them to me."
"I don't think you need feel anxious about them among the boys,
major," Captain Manley said. "I fancy they can hold their own. I
found them outside the gate where a row was going on among some of
the recruiting sergeants, and one of those boys had just tripped up
a sergeant of the 15th and nearly broken his head."
There was a general laugh.
"They are quite interesting, these prodigies of yours, Manley. How did
the boy do it? I should not have thought him strong enough to have
thrown a man off his balance."
"I asked Summers about it afterwards," Captain Manley said, "the
fellow gave one of the boys a box on the ear, and in an instant the
boy stooped, caught his foot and pulled it forward and up. The thing
was done in a moment, and the sergeant was on his back before he knew
what's what."
"By Jove," a young ensign said, "I have seen that trick done at Eton."
"That is just where the boy said he learnt it," Captain Manley said.
"The colonel asked him suddenly, and it slipped out."
"If they're Etonians, I ought to know them," the ensign said. "I only
left six months ago. What are their names?"
"Their name is Scudamore."
"By Jove, they were in the same house with me. Uncommonly sharp little
fellows, and up to no end of mischief. It was always believed, though
no one could prove it, that they were the boys who nearly suffocated
the bargee."
There was a roar of laughter.
"Tell us all about, Carruthers."
"Well, there was not very much known about it. It seems the fellow
purposely upset a boat with four or five of our fellows in it, and
that night a dozen lighted crackers were thrown down into the little
cabin where the fellow was asleep; the hatch was fastened and he
was sent drifting down stream with the crackers exploding all about
him. The smoke nearly suffocated the fellow, I believe There was a
tremendous row about it, but they could not bring it home to any one.
We always put it down to the Scudamores, though they never would own
to it; but they were the only fellows in the boat who would have done
it, and they were always up to mischief."
"But what makes them come here as buglers?" the major asked.
"Their father was a banker, I believe, down in the Eastern Counties
somewhere. He died suddenly in the middle of the half before I left,
and they went away to the funeral and never came back again."
"The fact is," Captain Manley said, "I fancy by what they say, though
they did not mention their father was a banker, that he lost all his
money suddenly and died of the shock. At any rate they are alone
in the world, and the colonel has no doubt that they are some
relation--nephews, I should imagine--of Peter Scudamore, who was our
colonel when I joined. One of them is called Peter. They acknowledged
that they had a particular reason for choosing this regiment; but
they would neither acknowledge or deny that he was a relation. Now
that we know their father was a banker, we shall find out without
difficulty--indeed I have no doubt the colonel will know whether Peter
Scudamore had a brother a banker."
"What's to be done, Manley?" Major James said. "I don't like the
thought of poor old Peter's nephews turning buglers. All of us field
officers, and the best part of you captains, served under him, and
a better fellow never stepped. I think between us we might do
something."
"I would do anything I could," Carruthers said, "and there are Watson
and Talbot who were at Eton too. Dash it, I don't like to think of two
Etonians in a band," "You are all very good," Captain Manley said,
"but from what I see of the boys they will go their own way. They have
plenty of pride, and they acknowledge that their reason for refusing
to say whether they are any relation of the colonel was that they
did not want to be taken notice of or treated differently from other
boys, because it would cause jealousy, and make their position more
difficult. All they asked was that they might accompany the regiment,
and not remain behind at the depôt; and as, fortunately, they have
both been practising with the bugle, and can sound most of the calls
as well as the others, the colonel was able to grant their request.
Had they been older, of course, we could have arranged for them to go
with us as volunteers, we who knew the colonel, paying their expenses
between us: as it is, the only thing we can do for them--and that is
what they would like best is to treat them just like the other boys,
but to give them every chance of distinguishing themselves. If they
don't get knocked over, they ought to win a commission before the
campaign is over."
In the meantime Tom and Peter had been introducing themselves to the
regiment. The exercise over, they had returned to dinner. It was a
rough meal, but the boys enjoyed it, and after it was over a number
of the men of the band, with whom they messed, crowded round to ask
the usual questions of new-comers--their curiosity heightened in the
present instance by the fact that the boys differed so widely from
ordinary recruits.
"Look here," Tom said, laughing, "I can't answer you all at once, but
if you put me on the table I will tell you all about us."
There was a general laugh, and many of the soldiers other than the
band sauntered up to see what was going on.
"The first thing to tell you," Tom said, "is our names. We go by the
names of Tom and Peter Scudamore, but I need scarcely tell you that
these are not our real names. The fact is--but this is quite a
secret--we are the eldest sons of Sir Arthur Wellesley--"
Here Tom was interrupted by a shout of laughter.
"Sir Arthur," Tom went on calmly, "wished to make us colonels of two
of the Life Guard regiments, but as they were not going on foreign
service we did not see it, and have accordingly entered the regiment
which Sir Arthur, our father, in speaking to a friend, said was the
finest in the service--namely, the Norfolk Rangers. We believe that
it is the custom, upon entering a regiment, to pay our footing, and I
have given a guinea to Corporal Skinner, and asked him to make it go
as far as he could."
There was great laughter over Tom's speech, which was just suited to
soldiers, and the boys from that moment were considered part of the
regiment.
"There's good stuff in those boys," an old sergeant said to another,
"plucky and cool. I shouldn't be surprised if what Tom Dillon said
was about right; he was waiting at mess just now, and though he didn't
hear all that was said, he picked up that there was an idea that
these boys are related to the old colonel. He was a good fellow, he
was, and, though I say nothing against Colonel Tritton, yet we missed
Colonel Scudamore terribly. Strict, and yet kind, just the sort of
fellow to serve under. If the boys take after him they will be a
credit to the regiment, and mark my words, we shan't see them in the
band many years."