In answer to the shout of "Donald," a tall man in the pantaloons of
a Prussian regiment, but with his tunic laid aside, came out from a
small room that served as a kitchen, and dormitory, for himself.
"I am just ready, sir," he said. "Hearing you talking as you came
along, and not knowing who you might have with you, I just ran in
to put on my coat; but as you passed, and I heard it was Scottish
you were speaking, I knew that it didna matter."
"Put another plate and goblet on the table, Donald. I hope that you
have meat enough for two of us."
"Plenty for four," the soldier said. "The market was full this
morning, and the folk so ta'en up wi' this talk of war, and so
puzzled because no one could mak' out what it was about, that they
did more gossiping than marketing. So when the time came for the
market to close, I got half a young pig at less than I should hae
paid for a joint, as the woman did not want to carry it home
again."
"That is lucky. As you are from Perth, Donald, it is possible you
may know this gentleman. He is Mr. Fergus Drummond, of Tarbet."
"I kenned his father weel; aye, and was close beside him at
Culloden, for when our company was broken I joined one that was
making a stand, close by, and it was Drummond who was leading it.
Stoutly did we fight, and to the end stood back to back, hewing
with our claymores at their muskets.
"At last I fell, wounded, I couldna say where at the time. When I
came to myself and, finding that all was quiet, sat up and felt
myself over, I found that it was a musket bullet that had ploughed
along the top of my head, and would ha' killed me had it not been
that my skull was, as my father had often said when I was a boy,
thicker than ordinary. There were dead men lying all about me; but
it was a dark night, and as there was no time to be lost if I was
to save my skin, I crawled away to some distance from the field;
and then took to my heels, and did not stop till next morning, when
I was far away among the hills."
While he was talking, Donald had been occupied in adding a second
plate and knife and fork and glass, and the two officers sat down
to their meal. Fergus asked the soldier other questions as to the
fight in which his father had lost his life; for beyond that he had
fought to the last with his face to the foe, the lad had never
learnt any particulars, for of the clansmen who had accompanied his
father not one had ever returned.
"Mr. Drummond will take the empty room next to mine, Donald. I am
going down now with him, to the inn where he has left his horse. As
he has a few things there, you had best come with us and bring them
here."
The landlord of the inn, on hearing that Fergus wished to sell his
horse, said that there were two travellers in the house who had
asked him about horses; as both had sold, to officers, fine animals
they had brought in from the country, there being at present a
great demand for horses of that class. One of these persons came in
as they were speaking, and after a little bargaining Fergus sold
the horse to him, at a small advance on the price he had given for
it at Stettin. The landlord himself bought the saddle and bridle,
for a few marks; saying that he could, at any time, find a customer
for such matters. Donald took the valises and cloak, and carried
them back to the palace.
"That matter is all comfortably settled," Lindsay said. "Now we are
free men, but my liberty won't last long. I shall have to go on
duty again, in half an hour. But at any rate, there is time to go
first with you to the tailor's, and put your uniform in hand."
"I wish to be measured for the uniform of the 3rd Royal Dragoon
Guards," Fergus said, as he entered the shop and the proprietor
came up to him.
"Yes, Herr Tautz; and his excellency, Marshal Keith," Lindsay put
in, "wishes you to know that the dress suit must be made instantly,
or quicker if possible; for his majesty may, at any moment, order
Mr. Drummond to attend upon him. Mr. Drummond is appointed one of
the marshal's aides-de-camp; and as, therefore, he will often come
under the king's eye, you may well believe that the fit must be of
the best, or you are likely to hear of it, as well as Mr.
Drummond."
"I will put it in hand at once, lieutenant. It shall be cut out
without delay; and in three hours, if Mr. Drummond will call here,
it shall be tacked together in readiness for the first trying on.
By eight o'clock tomorrow morning it shall be ready to be properly
fitted, and unless my men have bungled, which they very seldom do,
it shall be delivered by midday."
"Mr. Drummond lodges in the next room to myself," the lieutenant
said; "and my servant is looking after him, till he gets one of his
own, so you can leave it with him."
While the conversation was going on, two of the assistants were
measuring Fergus.
"Will you have the uniform complete, with belts, helmet, and all
equipments?"
"Everything except the sword," Fergus said.
"At least I suppose, Lindsay, we can carry our own swords."
"Yes, the king has made that concession, which is a wonderful one,
for him, that Scottish officers in his service may carry their own
swords. You see, ours are longer and straighter than the German
ones, and most of us have learnt our exercises with them, and
certainly we would not fight so well with others; besides, the iron
basket protects one's hand and wrist vastly better than the foreign
guard. The concession was first made only to generals, field
officers and aides-de-camp; but Keith persuaded the king, at last,
to grant it to all Scottish officers, pointing out that they were
able to do much better service with their own claymores, than with
weapons to which they were altogether unaccustomed; and that
Scottish men were accustomed to fight with the edge, and to strike
downright sweeping blows, whereas the swords here are fitted only
for the point, which, although doubtless superior in a duel, is far
less effective in a general melee."
"I should certainly be sorry to give up my own sword," Fergus said.
"It was one of my father's, and since the days when I was big
enough to begin to use it, I have always exercised myself with it;
though I, too, have learned to use the point a great deal, as I had
a German instructor, as well as several Scottish ones."
"Except in a duel," Lindsay said, "I should doubt if skill goes for
very much. I have never tried it myself, for I have never had the
luck to be in battle; but I fancy that in a cavalry charge strength
goes for more than skill, and the man who can strike quickly and
heavily will do more execution than one trained to all sorts of
nice points and feints. I grant that these are useful, when two men
are watching each other; but in the heat of a battle, when every
one is cutting and thrusting for his life, I cannot think that
there is any time for fooling about with your weapon."
They had by this time left the shop, and were strolling down the
streets.
"Is there much duelling here?"
"It is strictly forbidden," Lindsay said, with a laugh; "but I need
hardly say that there is a good deal of it. Of course, pains are
taken that these affairs do not come to his majesty's ears. Fever,
or a fall from a horse, account satisfactorily enough for the
absence of an officer from parade, and even his total disappearance
from the scene can be similarly explained. Should the affair come
to the king's ears, 'tis best to keep out of his way until it has
blown over.
"Of course, with us it does not matter quite so much as with
Prussian officers. Frederick's is not the only service open to us.
Good swords are welcome either at the Russian or Austrian courts,
to say nothing of those of half a dozen minor principalities. At
all of these we are sure to find countrymen and friends, and if
England really enters upon the struggle--and it seems to me that if
there is a general row she can scarcely stand aloof--men who have
learned their drill and seen some service might be welcomed, even
if their fathers wielded their arms on the losing side, ten years
ago.
"Of course, to a Prussian officer it would be practical ruin to be
dismissed from the army. This is so thoroughly well understood
that, in cases of duels, there is a sort of general conspiracy on
the part of all the officers and surgeons of a regiment to hush the
matter up. Still, if an officer is insulted--or thinks that he is
insulted, which is about the same thing--he fights, and takes the
consequences.
"I am not altogether sorry that I am an aide-de-camp, and I think
that you can congratulate yourself on the same fact; for we are not
thrown, as is a regimental officer, into the company of Prussians,
and there is therefore far less risk of getting into a quarrel.
"I have no doubt the marshal, himself, will give you a few lessons
shortly. He is considered to be one of the finest swordsmen in
Europe, and in many respects he is as young as I am, and as fond of
adventure. He gave me a few when I first came to him, but he said
that it was time thrown away, for that I must put myself in the
hands of some good maitre d'armes before he could teach me anything
that would be useful. I have been working hard with one since, and
know a good deal more about it than I did; but my teacher says that
I am too hot and impetuous to make a good swordsman, and that
though I should do well enough in a melee, I shall never be able to
stand up against a cool man, in a duel. Of course the marshal had
no idea of teaching me arms, but merely, as he said, of showing me
a few passes that might be useful to me, on occasion. In reality he
loves to keep up his sword play, and once or twice a week Van
Bruff, who is the best master in Berlin, comes in for half an
hour's practice with him, before breakfast."
After Lindsay had left him at the entrance to the palace, Fergus
wandered about the town for some hours, and then went to the
tailor's and had his uniform tried on. Merely run together though
it was, the coat fitted admirably.
"You are an easy figure to fit, Herr Drummond," the tailor said.
"There is no credit in putting together a coat for you. Your
breeches are a little too tight--you have a much more powerful leg
than is common--but that, however, is easily altered.
"Here are a dozen pairs of high boots. I noticed the size of your
foot, and have no doubt that you will find some of these to fit
you."
This was indeed the case, and among a similar collection of
helmets, Fergus also had no difficulty in suiting himself.
"I think that you will find everything ready for you by half-past
eight," the tailor said, "and I trust that no further alteration
will be required. Six of my best journeymen will work all night at
the clothes; and even should his majesty send for you by ten, I
trust that you will be able to make a proper appearance before him,
though at present I cannot guarantee that some trifling alteration
will not be found necessary, when you try the uniforms on."
Fergus supped with the marshal, who had now time to ask him many
more questions about his home life, and the state of things in
Scotland.
"'Tis a sore pity," he said, "that we Scotchmen and Irishmen, who
are to be found in such numbers in every European army, are not all
arrayed under the flag of our country. Methinks that the time is
not far distant when it will be so. I am, as you know, a Jacobite;
but there is no shutting one's eyes to the fact that the cause is a
lost one. The expedition of James the Third, and still more that of
Charles Edward, have caused such widespread misery among the
Stuarts' friends that I cannot conceive that any further attempt of
the same kind will be made.
"In fact, there is no one to make it. The prince has lost almost
all his friends, by his drunken habits and his quarrelsome and
overbearing disposition. He has gone from court to court as a
suppliant, but has everywhere alienated the sympathies of those
most willing to befriend him. I may say that as a King of England
and Scotland he is now impossible, and his own habits have done
more to ruin his cause than even the defeat of Culloden. There are
doubtless many, in both countries, who consider themselves
Jacobites, but it is a matter of sentiment and not of passion.
"At any rate, there is no head to the cause now, and cannot
possibly be unless the prince had a son; therefore, for at least
five-and-twenty years, the cause is dead. Even if the prince leaves
an heir, it would be absurd to entertain the idea that, after the
Stuarts have been expelled from England a hundred years, any
Scotchman or Englishman would be mad enough to risk life and
property to restore them to the throne.
"Another generation and the Hanoverians will have become
Englishmen, and the sentiment against them as foreigners will have
died out. Then there will be no reason why Scotchmen and Irishmen
should any longer go abroad, and all who wish it will be able to
find employment in the army of their own country.
"This, indeed, might have happened long before this, had the
Georges forgotten that they were Electors of Hanover as well as
Kings of Great Britain; and had surrounded themselves with
Englishmen instead of filling their courts with Germans, whose
arrogance and greed made them hateful to Englishmen, and kept
before their eyes the fact that their kings were foreigners.
Hanover is a source of weakness instead of strength to Great
Britain, and its loss would be an unmixed benefit to her; for as
long as it remains under the British crown, so long must Britain
play a part in European politics--a part, too, sometimes absolutely
opposed to the interests of the country at large."
After supper was over, two general officers dropped in for a chat
with the marshal. He introduced Fergus to them, and the latter then
retired and joined the little party of Scottish officers at
Lindsay's quarters. Lindsay introduced him to them, and he was very
heartily received, and it was not until very late that they turned
into bed.
At half-past eight next morning Fergus went to the tailor's, and
found that he had kept his promise, to the letter. The uniforms
fitted admirably, and were complete in every particular. As Marshal
Keith had, the evening before, informed him that he had received
his appointment to the 3rd Royal Dragoon Guards, he had no
hesitation in putting on a uniform when, a quarter of an hour
later, it arrived at his quarters. Donald went out and fetched a
hairdresser, who combed, powdered, and tied up his hair in proper
military fashion. When he left, Donald took him in hand, attired
him in his uniform, showed him the exact angle at which his belt
should be worn, and the military salute that should be given.
It was fortunate that he was in readiness, for at half-past ten
Lindsay came in with a message from the marshal that he was, at
once, to repair to the palace, with or without a uniform; as the
king had sent to say that he should visit Keith at eleven, and that
he could then present his cousin to him.
It could not be said that Fergus felt comfortable, as he started
from his quarters. Accustomed to a loose dress and light shoes, he
felt stiff and awkward in his tight garments, closely buttoned up,
and his heavy jack boots; and he found himself constrained to walk
with the same stiffness and precision that had amused him in the
Prussian officers, on the previous day.
"So you have got your uniform," the marshal said, as Fergus entered
and saluted, as Donald had instructed him. "It becomes you well,
lad, and the king will be pleased at seeing you in it. He could not
have blamed you had it not been ready, for the time has been short,
indeed; but he will like to see you in it, and will consider that
it shows alacrity and zeal."
Presently the door opened and, as the marshal rose and saluted,
Fergus knew that it was the king. He had never had the king
described to him, and had depicted to himself a stiff and somewhat
austere figure; but the newcomer was somewhat below middle height,
with a kindly face, and the air rather of a sober citizen than of a
military martinet. The remarkable feature of his face were his
eyes, which were very large and blue, with a quick piercing glance
that seemed to read the mind of anyone to whom he addressed
himself. So striking were they that the king, when he went about
the town in disguise, was always obliged to keep his eyes somewhat
downcast; as, however well made up, they would have betrayed him at
once, had he looked fixedly at anyone who had once caught sight of
his face.
"Good morning, marshal!" he said, in a friendly tone. "So this is
my last recruit--a goodly young fellow, truly."
[Illustration: The king walked round Fergus as if he were
examining a lay figure]
He walked round Fergus as if he were examining a lay figure,
closely scrutinizing every article of his appointment, and then
gave a nod of approbation.
"Always keep yourself like that, young sir. An officer is unfit to
take charge of men, unless he can set an example of exactness in
dress. If a man is precise in little things, he will be careful in
other matters.
"Although he is going to be your aide-de-camp, Keith, he had better
go to his regimental barracks, and drill for a few hours a day, if
you can spare him."
"He shall certainly do so, sire. I spoke to his colonel yesterday
evening, and told him that I would myself take the lad down to him,
this morning, and present him to his comrades of the regiment. It
would be well if he could have six months' drilling, for an
aide-de-camp should be well acquainted with the meaning of the
orders he carries; as he is, in that case, far less likely to make
mistakes than he would otherwise be. Your majesty has nothing more
to say to him?"
"Nothing. I hope he is not quarrelsome. But there, it is of no use
my hoping that, Keith; for your Scotchman is a quarrelsome creature
by nature, at least so it seems to me. Of the duels that, in spite
of my orders, take place--I know you all try to hide them from me,
Keith--I hear of a good many between these hot-headed countrymen of
yours and my Prussian officers."
"With deference to your majesty, I don't think that that proves
much. It would be as fair to say that these duels show how
aggressive are your Prussian officers towards my quiet and patient
countrymen.
"Now you can retire, cornet."
Fergus gave the military salute, and retired to the anteroom.
"Have you passed muster?" Lindsay asked with a laugh.
"Yes; at least the king found nothing wrong. He was not at all what
I thought he would be."
"No; I was astonished myself, the first time I saw him. He is a
capital fellow, in spite of his severity in matters of military
etiquette and discipline. He is very kind hearted, does not stand
at all upon his dignity, bears no malice, and very soon remits
punishment he has given in the heat of the moment. I think that he
regards us Scots as being a people for whom allowances must be
made, on the ground of our inborn savagery and ignorance of
civilized customs. He does not mind plain speaking on our part and,
if in the humour, will talk with us much more familiarly than he
would do to a Prussian officer."
In a few minutes the bell in the next room sounded. Lindsay went
in.
"Are the horses at the door?"
"Yes, marshal."
"Then we will mount at once. I told the colonel of the 3rd that I
should be at the barracks by twelve o'clock, unless the king wanted
me on his business."
Fergus had already put on his helmet, and he and Lindsay followed
Keith downstairs. In the courtyard were the horses, which were held
by orderlies.
"That is yours, Fergus," Keith said. "It has plenty of bone and
blood, and should carry you well for any distance."
Fergus warmly thanked the marshal for the gift. It was a very fine
horse, and capable of carrying double his weight. It was fully
caparisoned with military bridle and saddle and horse cloth.
They mounted at once. The orderlies ran to their horses, which were
held by a mounted trooper, and the four fell in behind the
officers. Lindsay and Fergus rode half a length behind the marshal,
but the latter had some difficulty in keeping his horse in that
position.
The marshal smiled.
"It does not understand playing second fiddle, Fergus. You see, it
has been accustomed to head the procession."
As they rode along through the street, all officers and soldiers
stood as stiff as statues at the salute, the marshal returning it
as punctiliously, though not as stiffly. In a quarter of an hour
they arrived at the gate of a large barracks. The guard turned out
as soon as the marshal was seen approaching, and a trumpet call was
heard in the courtyard as they entered the gate.
Fergus was struck with the spectacle, the like of which he had
never seen before. The whole regiment was drawn up in parade order.
The colonel was some distance in the front, the officers ranged at
intervals behind him. Suddenly the colonel raised his sword above
his head, a flash of steel ran along the line, eight trumpeters
sounded the first note of a military air, and the regiment stood at
the salute, men and horses immovable, as if carved in stone. A
minute later the music stopped, the colonel raised his sword again,
there was another flash of steel, and the salute was over. Then the
colonel rode forward to meet the marshal.
"Nothing could have been better, my dear colonel," the latter said.
"As I told you yesterday, my inspection of your regiment is but a
mere form, for I know well that nothing could be more perfect than
its order; but I must report to the king that I have inspected all
the regiments now in Berlin and Potsdam, and others that will form
my command, should any untoward event disturb the peace of the
country.
"But before I begin, permit me to present to you this young officer,
who was yesterday appointed to your regiment. I have already spoken
to you of him. This is Cornet Fergus Drummond, a cousin of my own,
and whom I recommend strongly to you. As I informed you, he will for
the present act as one of my aides-de-camp."
"You have lost no time in getting your uniform, Mr. Drummond," the
colonel said. "I am sure that you will be most cordially received,
by all my officers as by myself, as a relation of the marshal, whom
we all respect and love."
"I will now proceed to the inspection," the marshal said, and he
proceeded towards the end of the line.
The colonel rode beside him, but a little behind. The two
aides-de-camp followed, and the four troopers brought up the rear.
They proceeded along the front rank, the officers having before
this taken up their position in the line. The marshal looked
closely at each man as he passed, horse as well as man being
inspected.
"I do not think, colonel, that the king himself could have
discovered the slightest fault or blemish. The regiment is simply
perfect. I hope that during the next few days you will have every
shoe inspected by the farrier, and every one showing the least
signs of wear taken off and replaced; and that you will also direct
the captains of troops to see that the men's kits are in perfect
order."
"That shall be done, sir, though I own that I cannot see against
whom we are likely to march; for though the air is full of rumours,
all our neighbours seem to think of nothing so little as war."
"It may be," Keith said with a smile, "that it is merely his
majesty's intention to see in how short a time we can place an
army, complete in every particular and ready for a campaign, in the
field. His majesty is fond of trying military experiments."
"I hope, marshal, that you will do us the honour of drinking a
goblet of champagne with us. Some of my officers have not yet been
presented to you, and I shall be glad to take the opportunity of
doing so."
"With pleasure, colonel. A good offer should never be refused."
By this time they had moved to the front of the regiment.
"Officers and men of the 3rd Royal Dragoon Guards," Keith said in a
loud voice, "I shall have great pleasure in reporting to the king
the result of my inspection, that the regiment is in a state of
perfect efficiency, and that I have been unable to detect the
smallest irregularity or blemish. I am quite sure that, if you
should at any time be called upon to fight the enemies of your
country, you will show that your conduct and courage will be fully
equal to the excellence of your appearance. I feel that whatever
men can do you will do.
"God save the king!"
He lifted his plumed hat. The trumpet sounded, the men gave the
royal salute, and then a loud cheer burst from the ranks; for the
rumours current had raised a feeling of excitement throughout the
regiment, and though no man could see from what point danger
threatened, all felt that great events were at hand.
The regiment was then dismissed, hoarse words of command were
shouted, and each troop moved off to its stable; while the colonel
and Keith rode to the officers' anteroom, the trumpets at the same
time sounding the officers' call. In a few minutes all were
gathered there. The colonel first presented some of his young
officers to the marshal, and then introduced Fergus to his new
comrades, among whom were two Scotch officers.
"Mr. Drummond will, for the present, serve with the marshal as one
of his aides-de-camp; but I hope that he will soon join the
regiment where, at any rate, he will at all times find a warm
welcome."
Keith had already told the colonel that, for the present, Fergus
would be released from all duty as an aide-de-camp, and would spend
his time in acquiring the rudiments of drill.
Champagne was now served round. The officers drank the health of
the marshal, and he in return drank to the regiment; then all
formality was laid aside for a time, and the marshal laughed and
chatted with the officers, as if he had been one of themselves.
Fergus was surrounded by a group, who were all pleased at finding
that he could already talk the language fluently; and in spite of
the jealousy of the Scottish officers, felt throughout the service,
the impression that he made was a very favourable one; and the
hostility of race was softened by the fact that he was a near
relation of the marshal, who was universally popular. He won
favour, too, by saying, when the colonel asked whether he would
rather have a Scottish or a Prussian trooper assigned to him, as
servant and orderly, that he would choose one of the latter.
After speaking to the adjutant the colonel gave an order and, two
minutes later, a tall and powerful trooper entered the room and
saluted. The adjutant went up to him.
"Karl Hoger," he said, "you are appointed orderly and servant to
Mr. Fergus Drummond. He is quartered at the officers' house, facing
the palace. You will take your horse round there, and await his
arrival. He will show you where it is to be stabled. You are
released from all regimental duty until further orders."
The man saluted and retired, without the slightest change of face
to show whether the appointment was agreeable to him, or otherwise.
Half an hour later the marshal mounted and, with his party, rode
back to the palace. After he had dismounted, Lindsay and Fergus
rode across to their quarters. Karl Hoger was standing at the
entrance, holding his horse. He saluted as the two officers came
up.
"I will go in and see if dinner is ready," Lindsay said. "I told
Donald that we should be back at half-past one, and it is nearly
two now, and I am as hungry as a hunter."
Fergus led the way to the stable, and pointed out to the trooper
the two stalls that the horses were to occupy; for each room in the
officers' quarters had two stalls attached to it, the one for the
occupant, the other for his orderly.
"I suppose you have not dined yet, Karl?"
"No, sir, but that does not matter."
"I don't want you to begin by fasting. Here are a couple of marks.
When you have stabled the horses and finished here, you had better
go out and get yourself dinner. I shall not be able to draw rations
for you for today.
"After you have done, come to the main entrance where I met you and
take the first corridor to the left. Mine is the fifth door on the
right-hand side. If I am not in, knock at the next door to it on
this side. You will see Lieutenant Lindsay's name on it.
"You need not be in any hurry over your meal, for I am just going
to have dinner, and certainly shall not want you for an hour."
On reaching Lindsay's quarters Fergus found that dinner was
waiting, and he and Lindsay lost no time in attacking a fine fish
that Donald had bought in the market.
"That is a fine regiment of yours, Drummond," Lindsay said.
"Magnificent. Of course, I never saw anything like it before, but
it was certainly splendid."
"Yes. They distinguished themselves in the campaigns of Silesia
very much. Their colonel, Grim, is a capital officer--very strict,
but a really good fellow, and very much liked by his officers.
However, if I were you, I should be in no hurry to join. I had two
years and a half in an infantry regiment, before Keith appointed me
one of his aides-de-camp, and I can tell you it was hard
work--drill from morning till night. We were stationed at a
miserable country place, without any amusements or anything to do;
and as at that time there did not seem the most remote chance of
active service, it was a dog's life. Everyone was surly and ill
tempered, and I had to fight two duels."
"What about?"
"About nothing, as far as I could see. A man said something about
Scotch officers, in a tone I did not like. I was out of temper, and
instead of turning it off with a laugh I took it up seriously, and
threw a glass at his head. So of course we fought. We wounded each
other twice, and then the others stopped it. The second affair was
just as absurd, except that there I got the best of it, and sliced
the man's sword arm so deeply that he was on the sick list for two
months--the result of an accident, as the surgeon put it down. So
although I don't say but that there is a much better class of men
in the 3rd than there was in my regiment, I should not be in any
hurry to join.
"If there is a row, you will see ten times as much as an
aide-de-camp as you would in your regiment, while during peacetime
there is no comparison at all between our lives as aides-de-camp
and that of regimental officers.
"I fancy you have rather a treasure in the man they have told off
to you. He was the colonel's servant at one time, but he got drunk
one day, and of course the colonel had to send him back to the
ranks. One of the officers told me about him when he came in, and
said that he was one of the best riders and swordsmen in the
regiment. The adjutant told me that he has specially chosen him for
you, because he had a particularly good mount, and that as your
orderly it would be of great importance that he should be able to
keep up with you. Of course, he got the horse when he was the
colonel's orderly; and though he was sent back to the ranks six
months ago, the colonel, who was really fond of the man, allowed
him to keep it."
"I thought it seemed an uncommonly good animal, when he led it into
the stable," Fergus said. "Plenty of bone, and splendid quarters. I
hope he was not unwilling to come to me. It is a great fall from
being a colonel's servant to become a cornet's."
"I don't suppose he will mind that; and at any rate, while he is
here the berth will be such an easy one that I have no doubt he
will be well content with it, and I daresay that he and Donald will
get on well together.
"Donald is a Cuirassier. After Keith appointed me as one of his
aides, he got me transferred to the Cuirassiers, who are stationed
at Potsdam. That was how I came to get hold of Donald as a
servant."
A few minutes after they had done dinner, there was a knock at the
door. The orderly entered and saluted.
"You will find my man in there," Lindsay said. "At present, Mr.
Drummond and I are living together. I daresay you and he will get
on very comfortably."
For the next fortnight, Fergus spent the whole day in barracks. He
was not put through the usual preliminary work, but the colonel,
understanding what would be most useful to him, had him instructed
in the words of command necessary for carrying out simple
movements, his place as cornet with a troop when in line or column;
and being quick, intelligent, and anxious to learn, Fergus soon
began to feel himself at home.