‘You ought to do well enough, but book-lore is not everything. You look strong. Are you active? Are you good at gymnastics? Can you play cricket, and walk and run well? Try you? We will. Meanwhile keep straight and steady, and you’ll do. It’ll be your own fault if you don’t get on.’
From that time forth Captain Greathed took especial notice of Herbert, spoke to him frequently—an honour highly prized by the private soldier—advised him as to his reading, and lent him military books.
All this did not pass unobserved in the company, and it soon became evident that his comrades rather resented the 杭州夜生活 杭州足浴xt captain’s undisguised preference for Larkins. The body of the men in the Duke’s Own were not[127] particularly attached to their officers, and to be a favourite with superiors was not a certain passport to popularity with the rank and file. Herbert, in spite of Boy Hanlon’s championship, found himself kept at arm’s length rather, and often subjected to innuendoes and sneers.
One day there was some commotion in the barrack-room. Several men who had been slovenly on parade had had their ‘passes’ stopped. These permits to be absent from quarters after hours are much appreciated, and those who had forfeited them were naturally sore. Herbert, who wished to attend a lecture at the Mechanics’ Institute, had also ‘put in a pass,’ backed by the captain, which had been granted, much to the disgust of the other men.
It’s a burning shame,’ 杭州丝袜批发市场 said one; and[128] others followed on the same side, but with louder and coarser expletives.
‘A young jiggermy-dandy like you,’ cried a big soldier, Jubbock by name, who had the reputation of being cock and bully of the company. ‘What right have you to what’s denied your betters? A sneaking young lickspittle, who’s got the length of the captain’s foot. I’ll teach you to—’
Jubbock advanced towards him with a threatening air.
‘Well?’ said Herbert coolly, ‘what’ll you teach me?’
‘To know your master. Take that,’ and Jubbock aimed a tremendous blow at Herbert, which the latter promptly parried, and with a smart ‘one—two’ put the great fellow flat on his back.
There was a shout in the barrack-room as Jubbock rose furious and closed with his[129] opponent. Then came a hubbub of voices. ‘The sergeant, the sergeant! Sergeant Pepper, 杭州保健上门服务 the “Real Cayenne!”’ as he was commonly called when he looked like mischief.
‘What’s this? Quarrelling in the barrack-room? I’ll not have it. drop it. Who began it? You, Larkins? Then to the guard-room you’ll go, double quick. Here, Corporal Smirke, get a file of men.’
‘But t’other chap rasperated him,’ Hanlon put in. ‘Jubbock’s more to blame than Larkins. If you shop one you must shop the other.’
‘So I will. I’ll run them both in—march them off.’
And so Herbert, with a smarting sense of injustice, found himself relegated to the guard-house, and locked up for the night.
CHAPTER VIII. THE ORDER BOOK.
Herbert woke after a troubled night’s rest, disturbed by the occasional irruption of comrades brought in by the piquet and patrols, in various stages of intoxication, and the visits of the sergeant of the guard. The bare boards had 杭州桑拿按摩36式 been his bed, and he ached in every limb. It was with a sense of relief almost, although he dreaded the ordeal before him, that he washed and cleaned himself up preparatory to taking his place in the ranks with the rest of ‘the prisoners.’ With them, under escort of the guard, he was presently marched to the orderly-room, and then, after waiting half-an-hour for his turn, he was marched into the presence of[131] his commanding officer, to answer for his alleged crime.
He and Jubbock appeared together before their judge, Colonel Prioleau. The sergeant, who was the only witness, gave his evidence fairly, although not without a bias against Herbert, but the Colonel withheld judgment till he heard the defence.
‘What have you got to say?’ he asked of both abruptly.
